


More Then One Kind of Monster

by bevans87



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Baking, Blind Date, Bullying, Career Change, Characters Watching Doctor Who, Childhood Trauma, Chopsticks, Crime Fighting, Crimes & Criminals, Daddy Issues, Dating, Disappointment, Doctor Who Spoilers, Double Life, F/M, Family Drama, Family History, Family Reunion, Flower Magic, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, French Food, Hacking, Hairdresser Mishap, Hunting, Imaginary Friends, Japanese Dining Etiquette, Kissing, Making Out, PDA, Past Abuse, Psychological Trauma, Sibling Bonding, Sleepovers, Slow Burn, Sushi, Zanna, concert date, family business, hand holding, slowest of burns, will update this as I post
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:14:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 120,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23212348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bevans87/pseuds/bevans87
Summary: Danielle "Dani" Winchester has one hell of a life. She is the twin sister of Sam and the youngest of the three siblings. Despite being a Winchester in every sense of the meaning, her life looks very different from her brothers. Sure, she's still a hunter, it is the "family business" after all, but she is also a fed. A real one. And while she might not be in the thick of it in either career, she will do whatever she can to assist her brothers and to hunt monsters, both of human and supernatural. She dreams of one day joining the prestigious BAU (which was her goal from the start, but ultimately fell short) and finding someone she can be 100% honest with. She is tired of leading a double life and hopes to find someone to share both sides of her life with.Starts in Season 11 of Criminal Minds and Supernatural. Chapter 1 actually starts after S11E7 of SPN and before S11E1 of CM.Note: This is has more Criminal Minds than Supernatural at the moment.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Original Female Character(s), Spencer Reid/f!Winchester OC
Comments: 113
Kudos: 188





	1. The Sherwood Killer

**Author's Note:**

> *** = time/pov shift

The team of the BAU sits at their round table in the conference room. Garcia stands motioning to some pictures on the screen while the others study the files or tablets in front of them. She paces outside the closed door, concerned if this is the right call, just barging in uninvited. Well, at least not in an official manner. But people are dropping like flies in the DC area and Penelope asked for her help. It isn’t often that a case like this rears its ugly head, one that happens to already be a case she is working on herself, but even rarer for the profile to completely fail in helping them pinpoint who their UnSub could possibly be. Through the window on her approach, she could see all the tell tale signs. The geographic profile circling the three hospitals already impacted. Photos of victims plastered on boards with no commonalities between them other than being hospitalized and killed. The tired eyes and frustrated expressions on the seasoned members of the team. Even Garcia’s typically peppy attitude is impacted by all the dead ends. She looks down at the tablet in her hand. She knows all the information they have already and she has a few theories, but she is not a profiler. She barely feels like an agent sometimes, but at least she’s not stuck behind a computer screen for countless hours a day. She’s a tactical agent now, has been for years, but she could be doing so much more. This is her shot. That point has not escaped her. She runs her hand along her long curled ponytail and twirls the end. Her black combat boots pad softly on the floor as she paces and listens to them argue, and though it might sound crazy, everything in her training has made her footfalls nearly none existent in the hard soled shoes. She tosses the ponytail behind her. She resolves herself to entering that closed door, to inserting herself where she might not be welcome, it wouldn’t be the first time in her history with the Bureau that she’s inserted herself into another department’s case and it like won’t be the last. Though Cybercrimes tends to be more than happy to have her back from time to time. But Penelope assured her that if she thought assistance was needed, she would give her some sort of clue.

Morgan’s familiar voice stops her pacing. “This is ridiculous. We’re just spinning our wheels. We need something… I don’t know what but this isn’t working.”

She can hear someone push back from the table and sigh. “You’re right.” It’s Hotch. “Maybe we need a fresh set of eyes.”

She can hear the faint sound on concern coming from Penelope, the same person who helped her plan this entrance should it be required. “Funny you should mention that. Given the particular and peculiar elements of this case and being so short staffed at the moment...” She lifts her tablet. A single green word flashes at her. Complete. She smirks and approaches the door. “I reached out for a little help, I think I’ve found the perfect mind for this.”

Hotch hums. “Really? Didn’t think to run this by me first?”

“There wasn’t time. I only got the idea when we arrived this morning. I felt we needed someone with both an extensive knowledge of computers as well as field training. I borrowed her before, when I needed help finding Kate’s niece.”

She swipes up on her screen and places her hand on the knob. Red numbers pop on the screen, counting down from 5. She tugs on the front of her purple flannel shirt, suddenly feeling a little underdressed in her usual attire. Morgan chuckles. “Are we talking about who I think we’re talking about?” 

“Naturally.”

“Enough with the cloak and dagger.” Rossi clearly letting his frustration affect his patience.

Garcia’s tv screen goes black and she smacks her remote a few times. Hotch nods towards the screen. “What’s that about?”

She opens the door as a teal silhouette of a bird flies onto the screen and lands in the corner. The lights from the hallway makes them turn to look away from the onscreen anomaly. “That would be me.”

“Let me introduce, maybe reintroduce for some of you, Special Agent Winchester.” Garcia smiles brightly, “Codename: Song Bird.”

She lifts her tablet and taps a few things. “You’re getting pretty sloppy, Penny. Took a background system only a few minutes to take control on your system.”

The colorful analyst gasps. “Background?! You didn’t even have the curtesy to do it yourself?”

She simply shrugs. She taps her tablet causing a few documents and photos to pop up on the screen. “Alright enough chatter. Formal introductions can wait until after this.” She smiles at her friend. “I’ve got it from here, Penny.” The blonde sets her remote down and sits in her chair. “From the brief time I’ve had to get caught up and to do a little digging, I think my case from yesterday and these hospital incidents are related.”

Reid quickly studies the pages on the screen and in the stack front of him. She’s clearly about to start picking apart the work he has spent hours trying to decipher. “What makes you say that?”

“I got brought in on a Cybercrimes case yesterday morning when an insurance company got hacked,” she taps her screen and the logo of the company pops up. “Metro Insurance is a not one of the big companies. Like Blue Cross, but it’s not exactly small either. They mostly cover people through their employers, but is pretty much a middle man between customers and the companies that actually provide the insurance. With that in mind, here is their financial report for last quarter.” She pulls up the document.

Morgan whistles. “That’s a lot of money for a small company.”

“Right. And this is their bank statement from two days ago, provided by the company’s accountant.” She taps and the document comes on screen. “Which, if you look at their financial report, looks normal. Now,” she taps a few things. “This is from yesterday.” Every monetary amount is now zero. “Completely wiped out.”

“How is this related?”

“I’m getting to that. The building Metro is housed is in a 5 story office building downtown.” She motions to the dry erase marker on the table. “May I?” Reid nods. She goes over to their geographic profile and circles the building, which is right in the middle of the three hospitals. “Yesterday, at 8:42 am, the entire building experienced a blackout. It only lasted 30 seconds before their generators kicked in, but the damage was done. Metro Insurance’s whole system was fried. Overloaded. Which, in turn blew all the breakers in the building. They weren’t even aware the money was missing until they were notified that they had made three transfers to…”

“The three hospitals that were attacked?”

“Nope. Off-shore accounts that are now closed. All opened in the CEO’s name.” She smirks as they can’t see how these two things are related. “While I was trying to figure out how this was done, the first hospital was hit. Then the second and that’s when Penny called me to ask if I could help figure out how these people were being killed.” She taps on her screen and a single document fills the screen. “I found this after a deep dive into the insurance company’s servers. It’s the remanence of Malware. Which is designed to overwork the machines in order to erase them. It wipes servers clean by overloading them using switches…” She chuckles, “Judging by the blank stares I’m getting, let me simplify. Computers work like this... a router creates the network, which is like a road.” She swipes her hand across her tablet screen and clears the documents. She begins drawing with her finger and projecting it on the tv. “So, these are the roads, and data, the cars, travel along them. Servers, the CPUs, are like parking lots that host the data. Where it… parks. But it needs to be controlled right, or you’ll get accidents. That’s what switches are for. They are like… traffic cops. Following me?” Everyone but Reid nods. “Ok. Well, in the case of this insurance company, someone came in through the router, this road here, got past the traffic cops and into the parking lot. But that’s as far as an you can get without permission. There are traffic cops who require you to show them your credentials to get past them. Some badges are more powerful than others. We call this Privileged Account Access and with it you can go anywhere. In this case, our infiltrator used the access of someone who could get to the bank accounts. Granted this is just an assumption based on what I know of hacking, because he left no trace. I’m getting to that. Anyway, after getting what he wants, he has to leave and unless he wants to be caught later, he has to cover his tracks. Easiest way to do that is…”

Penelope nods. “Flood the system.”

“Right. Problem with this particular attack is that there is nothing left. Well… unless you’re a as good as I am. But I’ll get to that. So, let’s say we’ve got a high traffic situation. Normally the cops would slow it down and better control where it goes, but what if the cars collectively decide to blow past them. They just really want to park in that particular lot, which is already filling up. But they go in any way. The cops gets overwhelmed, then the lot gets over whelmed, and it shuts down. Usually that’s it. Router, switches, server are all out of commission and all traces of the invasion are gone. As is everything else. But this one went a step further, it covered his tracks sure, but it went beyond that.” She pulls up the document she had up before. “This is the only thing I found on the company server. It is mangled, but this is what’s left. And it’s pretty much a report of what happened after the malware shut down the company server. It had more power left, more cars to release. It knows nothing else but to do that. To execute its order until it has nothing left. So, it blows past the gate cops, overloading them, and continuing until… pop. The data surges cause a building wide blackout because the breakers can’t take the heat and energy coming from all of those computers.”

Hotch folds his arms and nods. “So, that was intentional? To cause the most chaos to cover all traces he was ever there and distracting them from the theft?”

“Right.”

Rossi sighs. “But that didn’t happen in the hospital.”

“Didn’t it?” She taps her screen and brings up another document. “I found this an hour ago. It’s more degraded than the first one, but that’s likely because it had more places to go. I probably should say that this uses the internet, WiFi specifically. It’s not commonly used in hospitals, but these machines…” She moves over the board of photos and points at the various victims. “EKG electrocution. MRI fried. Morphine overdose. Pacemaker caused heart attack. Life support failure. All of these are controlled by computers and all of them are connected through the network so they can be controlled and monitored through the nurses’ station. So, this malware does its job and erases the path the hacker took, but it still has energy left that it needs to expend. And like electricity, it will take the path of least resistance and until it is used up. These devices… don’t have a firewall. They are just… wide open to… direct attack.”

“He killed these people on purpose.”

“If I had to guess… yes. But what bothers me the most about this, besides the deaths obviously, is that he didn’t leave a signature. We all know that hackers have their own signature. We hide them in our codes. That bird you saw when I entered is mine, though it may not always be visible, it is always there. Well, this particular code is interesting in that there are no visual signatures. No overt means of assigning the hacker to the code. Like that bird.”

“But why start with the insurance company, then go to the hospitals?”

“That was my question. An insurance company is probably going to have more security than a hospital in terms of hacking. So, why? And where did that money go?” She brings up three accounts. “Lady and Gentlemen, I give you three accounts both with an equal amount of money, untraceable I’ve already tired, deposited at the exact time these people died. According to the CFO at Metro, that is the exact amount they lost this morning.”

Hotch leans back in his chair. “But why would the UnSub kill a bunch of people? And leave the money?”

Penelope nods. “And there is no way to tell how many people this kind of attack would actually affect.”

Morgan kicks a chair out from the spot beside him and she sits down. “I have a theory on that, but it requires testing. As I said, I only got this information this morning.”

Rossi’s mood brightens some and he smiles. “You got this far in just a few hours?”

She nods. “Coding is pretty much my life. It took longer to find the malware remnant than anything else. Connecting the four incidents wasn’t that hard after that. Problem I’m having now is that I can’t track him. Only way to do that is to catch him in the act. And since he just hit another insurance company this morning, I’ll have to stop him from hitting another hospital. And with so many in the area, who can say which he will hit first. And if he’s this good, then he’ll likely detect me, which means we might lose him. But like I said, I have a theory that needs testing before I’d trust it enough to save lives. Then again, the only way to know for sure is to try to use it.”

Hotch leans forward. “But if the computer is still there?”

“If he doesn’t destroy it? If the malware portion is automated, which is usually the case, then I should be able to use the computer to stop it. But I’d need to do it at the scene. Likely moving it will corrupt anything on it.”

“What makes you say that?”

“The simple answer? With something this sophisticated?” She smirks at him. “It’s what I would do. Set it up to wipe the drives and then burn them if they were tampered with. Only someone super familiar with how to write like this would be able to move the unit without it being irreparably damaged.”

Hotch sighs as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. “And you think you can learn it?”

She nods. “Again. In theory. I’m working on making it second nature now, but I have to tread lightly. A method this unique will be detected by the creator if it is actually used.”

Rossi sets the file he was studying on the desk. “It says here that you were studying to join us before you got earmarked for cybercrimes and then you transferred to tactical after a year and a half.”

She looks over at him and her brows pull together slightly. “I’m sure my personnel file says a lot of things, but yes, that’s correct. The results of my placement test in the academy put me there.”

“So, you’re familiar with what we do?”

“Yes, sir. Why?”

“If you had to say, what would your profile for our UnSub be?”

Everyone looks at her then. Either looking away from Rossi or looking up from studying files. She’s really in the hot seat now. Morgan nods his encouragement beside her, though her eyes remain locked on her challenger, she can see him in her periphery. “Well, it’s been years since I’ve read the book, and I have next to zero experience in this, but I would say the UnSub is a white male, mid-twenties to early thirties. He could be younger but this stuff takes time to learn, unless you’re naturally gifted in computers. He’s intelligent, organized, maybe a touch narcissistic. He likes a challenge, solving puzzles. And he has escalated. The deaths have increased each time and the money taken has also increased. The money thing also says remorse to me, but maybe it’s more of a messed up Robin Hood thing. Punishing the medical field as a whole for their oversights, but provided them with the money to fix it.”

Hotch pushes back from the table and stands. “Alright. Winchester and Garcia, keep working on finding the source. The rest of us have more crimes scenes to visit. Figuring this out was just step one.”

Everyone stands up, but doesn’t leave right away. She formally meets everyone as they start to leave the room. Rossi extends his hand to her. “SSA David Rossi.” She takes his hand and shakes it. Of course, she knew Rossi. Hell, she’d met him before. She wonders if he remembers her. By the smile that appears on his face, she can see that he does. Rossi pats her on the back. “Told you, we’d get you up here one day.”

“Now, we just gotta make it stick.”

“Hang in there, Dani. We’ll save you soon enough.”

Morgan pulls her into a hug on his way out the door. She shakes her head, but hugs him back. “You act as if you haven’t seen me in weeks.”

He pulls back. “Hey. I’m happy for you. You’re finally here.”

“Yeah. Better late than never I suppose.”

He heads for the door, then stops and turns back. “Hey Slugger, we still on for that match when this is over?”

“You ready for me to kick your ass again?”

“I’m pretty sure I won the last one.”

“Oh, come on. Really? My grouping was way better.”

Reid looks over to Garcia. The interaction appeared more intimate than just two work friends. Though what did he know? Picking up those types of social cues were not his forte. 

Morgan smiles and shrugs at her in response. “Yes, but my mile was faster.”

“Bull shit! You started the watch too soon!” He comes back into the room and rubs the top of her head. She glares up at him. “Alright, SSA Morgan. This is war. Next round is mine to call yes?”

“You know it.”

“Hand to hand.”

“What? Really?” He moves his hand from the top of her head and brings it straight to his chin. “I’d win on size difference alone, kid.”

“Muscles can’t protect you from speed.”

“You’re on, Winchester.”

He leaves and she turns to Garcia. “You’d think he’d get tired of losing.”

Reid sticks a folder in his bag. “You really think you’d win? Against Morgan?”

She laughs. “Wouldn’t be the first time, won’t be the last.”

Garcia pats her arm as she heads out. “Not that Reid and I would know. We don’t keep up with those… scoreboards downstairs.”

“Well, for the record, I still hold the high score in that course he runs. Even managed to peg him a few times.”

“I’m Dr. Spencer Reid, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you. Should I call you that or…”

“Reid is fine. Do you prefer Winchester or…?”

“Dani.”

Reid nods. “So, you’re field trained?”

“Yep. Top of my class, in fact. Hell, I was top of my class in a bunch of things, but there’s no need to brag about it. Those guys all have more experience than me now.”

They wave to Garcia and she follows him out of the room. “You don’t do fieldwork, I take it?”

She nods. “Depends on your definition. I’m on tactical. FBI SWAT. I’ve actually helped you guys out a few times. Though with all that tack on I doubt you’d recognize me. I head a squad now. On occasion, I’m still get stuck behind a screen. I’ve done some undercover jobs, nothing I can talk about obviously, but that’s pretty much it.”

“So, I take it you’ve never done anything like this?”

“Not exactly.”

“Well, you’re doing great so far.”

She smiles. “Sorry for showing off back there. It seemed to rub you the wrong way.”

He shrugs and sits down at his desk. “It’s not you. I’ve just been so frustrated with this case. Though I have to admit that technology is sort of a blind spot for me.”

She leans forward and presses her palms into the wood at the edge of the desk. “If it’s any consolation, Penny got a little lost in it too.”

He smiles and pulls the files from his bag. “Uh… thanks?”

She smiles at him and Garcia waves at her from the glass door. “I suppose I should get back to it.” She pushes off his desk and starts walking away. She turns to walk backwards a few steps. “If you want to further discuss why the code acted the way it did, I’ll be in the bat cave.”

“Bat cave?”

She chuckles. “Garcia’s office.” She waves and walks out of the bullpen. He turns his attention to the papers in front of him, completely oblivious to her flirting. She shakes her head as she meets up with Garcia in the hall. They start walking together towards her den of tech. “So, Reid’s cute.”

Garcia nearly trips as she stops to scan her badge and enter her code next to the door. She spins. “Excuse me?”

She laughs. “You heard me.”

Garcia opens the door and motions for Dani to enter. “Yes, I heard you, but I’m not sure I heard you correctly.”

“I’m pretty sure you did, but just in case it’s unclear. I think Reid is cute.”

Garcia plops down in her desk chair. “Reid? Really? Sorta seemed like you had something going with Morgan.”

“Oh ew. No! He’s like one of my brothers. We’re friends and that’s it.”

She chuckles. “I ever tell you that you are super weird?”

Dani sits down in the spare computer chair and scoots up to a computer screen that looks to be searching for something. “Well, it’s not like it’ll ever go anywhere anyway. He completely missed my attempt to flirt.”

“He seems to do that.”

“How’s everyone doing, by the way?”

“After Gideon?” Dani nods. “We’re… still feeling it.”

“Understandable. Some people think that 7 months is plenty of time to grieve, but I know from experience that you never really stop feeling it. Being an outsider in all that, well… You know this, but he’s the reason I even joined up, so… if any of them need to talk or something...”

Garcia spins in her chair and smiles. “I think we’re ok, but I’ll let them know you’re open to talking.”

“I mean tread lightly. I think Rossi’s the only one who suspects Gideon recruited me. I’d like to keep it that way. No need to make things awkward.”

“You mean with Reid?”

“Well, you said they were close and I’d hate from him to find out that he wasn’t the only genius Gideon courted for the BAU. It might diminish his memory of him.”

“Hardly. That boy has a near perfect memory.”

“Yes, but memories are always flavored by a personal lens or perspective. Again, I know from experience.”

“Why are we even talking about this sad stuff? Let’s work on finding this hacker.”

“As you wish.” They both turn to their respective computers and start typing away. “So, this might be my only chance to work with you guys. Any suggestions?”

“Yeah. If you want to make it permanent take the time to impress each one individually both professionally and personally. They don’t take to newcomers well or often, so prove your worth and make them like you and you’re golden.”

She smirks over her shoulder. “Well, I’ve already got three in my pocket, shouldn’t be too hard to get the rest.”

“And I’m sure Morgan hasn’t stopped talking about you since he left. That’s why I didn’t tell him.”

“Yeah, he gets a little too excited when I’m around.”

“Because he finally has someone who can talk about stuff that he actually likes.”

Dani laughs. “It wasn’t always like that. Hell, I had to look up tons of info on sports just to get my foot in the door. Now, we just have this friendly rivalry thing going.”

“Think you’ll go out in the field?”

“I’ll have to. There’s no way he’s going to let his system be hacked remotely. The lag alone would kill it.”

“True.” They work quietly for a little while and then Garcia spins in her chair. “What are you doing once this is over?”

“Uh… I don’t know. Why?”

“Let’s go get something to eat. You know to celebrate.”

“To celebrate?”

“Your first official case with the BAU.”

“Um… alright. Seems a little soon to be celebrating. Especially if I fail.”

“If not, are we still on for our normal weekend plan?”

“Yes, we’re still on for you giving me an education in Doctor Who.”

“Yay!” She claps and turns back to her computer. They both let work suck them into a more focused state. Dani’s mind wanders a bit while she writes code to test her theory. It is nice to be doing work she’s good at with a go bag at the ready and a gun strapped to her belt. Her whole body vibrates with anticipation for getting to go outside for more than just kicking a door in. But she is just a guest in their house and there is no way she is going to be handed the lead on something. Fingers crossed and they’d offer to make it permanent. Getting this taste and then going back would be hard to endure for long. Especially if they pull her back to Cybercrimes full-time as her old unit chief has been hinting at.

She sits back in her chair and looks at what she’s written. She nods and spins in her chair. “Hey Penny. Time to test my theory.”

“OK. What do you need?”

“Well… I need something to hack.”

“And potentially destroy.”

“Well… yes. Because I have a pretty good idea of how he did it, but I need to see if the trap I set up will work, but I don’t want to damage our own system in case it does work.”

“Hmm… so you need a real, but dummy system?”

“As fast as possible.”

“On it.” Penny jumps up out of her chair and leaves her office. She knows this is the safest way to do this, but he could attack a hospital at any moment. And if she isn’t ready, those deaths are on her hands now. Honestly, she should just implant her trap in every hospital in the area just to be safe, but not knowing if it will work as designed will ultimately destroy any chance they have of catching this guy. Penny comes rushing back in with Hotch. “So, what’s your plan?”

“I’ve created a trap for him. It should allow me to see what he’s doing, let him plant the money, and then secure the malware while he’s backing out so it can’t hurt anyone.”

“Won’t he notice that?”

“Not if it works as designed. To him, it’ll look like it’s complete, but in reality, I’ll have it locked down, to break apart and analyze whenever I want. But I need to test it. Because I don’t want him to detect it for one. Two… well there’s a long list of things that could go wrong and I don’t feel like I have a lot of time or margin for error.”

“So, she needs to potentially sacrifice the servers of the system she needs to invade to test it.”

Hotch sticks his hands in his pockets. “Does Cybercrimes have anything like that?”

She smirks and spins in her chair to face him fully. “Well, no. But I could plant it on a rival’s server.”

“A rival?”

“Hacker. I’ve been watching her from a while and if I’m successful, nothing happens. If not…”

“Then a criminal hacker loses her system?”

“Yep.”

“Do it.”

She smiles brightly and spins to face her computer. “This shouldn’t take long.” She stretches her fingers and they fly across the keyboard. They come to stand behind her. She points to the center monitor on the wall. “Watch that screen.”

They look up and see a red and black colored screen. With texts boxes and pictures of skulls. “Is that her screen?”

“Yep. Looks like she’s actively using her computer. That’s perfect. Though it’s a shame I’ve gotta leave my signature out of this. She’d be so pissed.” She laughs and continues typing. “Alright. My trap is planted. And so far she hasn’t noticed. Time to test it.” She types and they watch a little bird pop up on the screen. “Oh, no. She caught me.” She chuckles and continues typing. “And I’ve inserted the malware… and… yes! Trap caught it.”

“What does that mean for what you’re doing now?”

“It’ll look like I failed to her. But it should look like I succeeded on my end. Give it a minute. It should kick it back.” She watches the screen on the wall with them. Sure enough. Access denied pops up on the red and black screen. Dani looks at her screen and it says _Complete_ along with some sort of file.

“So, what is that file you got?”

“The malware report telling me that it shut down her computer. Similar to the one I imagine he’s getting after he’s done his thing. Otherwise how would he know if he’s successful in covering his tracks?” She does some typing and the screen on the wall goes blank.

“So, you can implant your trap and he’ll have no idea?”

“And I’ll see everything and protect all those people in the hospital from the overloads.”

“Do that.”

“Which hospitals though? I could do all of them, but that seems like overkill and I’m not sure how long this will take.”

“I’ll get Reid on it.”

Hotch turns and leaves the room. Penny smiles at her. “This is genius.”

“The test is flawed. But it should do the job.”

“Flawed?”

“There are some variables I can’t predict, but the malware will be blocked. So, no one will die, but there’s still a chance he might catch me watching and could run. We’ll need to be ready to go as soon as we get his IP.”

“I’ll let the team know. Do you think this is something I can do?”

Dani smiles at her friend. “I’ve built the trap. That was the hardest part. It still needs to be placed, but yes. You shouldn’t have a problem once that’s done.”

“Then let’s get it setup and you can go get geared up. They’re going to need you right?”

“Definitely.”

***

She points to a building on the map. “The second insurance company was here.” Reid circles it on the map. She pulls the Velcro strap over her shoulder.

“And the hospital he just hit…”

“But failed to kill anyone thanks to my trap.”

“Is here.”

“Penny should have that address soon. And if we follow the timing of yesterday, we should be able to catch him at his computer.”

“And you’ve planted your trap at this hospital,” he points to it on the map, “And this one?” He points to a second.

She nods. “As discussed earlier, yes.”

“Well, at least he’s predictable geographically now.”

She looks around her at the men also gearing up to go. She’s debating on whether she should reveal what she found in the malware. It sort of changes things such as his motives. She nods. It’s something they need to know. “So, my profile was wrong earlier.”

They all look at her and Hotch raises an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

“I said I thought he was killing on purpose. I don’t think that’s the case. I think the building wide blackouts and deaths are… accidental.”

“Go on.”

“The way he wrote that malware… it’s designed to cover up his bread crumps, which I knew already, but there are… typos in the code. I think he wanted to it just do that, but those typos made it stronger and so it has more power than he intended. In fact, the report he got, tells him that’s all the malware did, covered his tracks. It doesn’t say that it went on to overload a lot more switches and servers.”

Morgan crosses his arms. “So, he might not even know he’s killed anyone.”

“Bingo.”

“Then maybe we should let him know. Use the media.”

Hotch nods. “Finish up here. I still want to move in on him before we lose him. We’re all assuming he’s going to run. So the media angle might push him to run faster. If we lose him, then we’ll release a statement. Let’s get on the road, so we’re ready when Garcia gets that location.” He turns his attention to Dani, who is currently looking over her weapon. “Have you been trained in entry.” She recognizes that it is more a statement than a question.

She smirks and nods. “Yes, sir. I lead a tactical team. I’m just called in to assist with computer stuff now. Tactical is my primary. I’m also still the high score on Morgan’s course.”

He smiles. “I knew I recognized your name. SA D Winchester. It’s been bugging me all day.” He watches her holster her gun and then nods. “Alright. Winchester and Reid. You’re with me.” They all nod and head out the door.

***

“Alright, crime fighters! Address has been sent to your phones. He’s not far from your current location actually. It’s an apartment downtown. Looks like it’s above a Chinese restaurant.”

Dani pulls out her work phone. “Oh hey! I know that place. Best Lo Mein in DC.”

Morgan scoffs. “Debatable.”

“I also looked for an apartment there once upon a time. There’s a fire escape in the alley and it’s a walk up.”

“That’s right, girl wonder. I’ll work on that. I couldn’t nail down the exact apartment, but I can tell you that it isn’t in the restaurant.”

“The stair way is narrow, so if he doesn’t see us coming then he’ll only be able to get out if he has alley access, thus access to the fire escape.”

Reid shakes his head. “That doesn’t seem like proper fire code.”

Dani chuckles. “It’s not. Anything street side is provided with a little metal ladder. Thus why I chose not to live there.”

“Rossi, you and Morgan take the alley. We’ll take the stairs.”

Garcia’s voice rings in their ears. “Go now. He’s trying for another hospital.” Their SUVs speed down the street. “Oh shoot! Dani, he detected it this time. He’s disabling your trap.”

“Shit. Step on it.” As soon as the SUV stops, the agents spill out of them and she leads the charge in through the door and up the stairs. One door is ajar. As if someone left in a hurry. She heads for it first. “FBI!” She pushes it open. She steps into a very clean, one room studio apartment. Her eyes fall on the desk once they clear the apartment. “There’s no monitor.”

“What?”

“There’s no computer monitor.” She holsters her gun and approaches it. She sees the light on the front of the PC tower is blinking. “Penny is the malware still running?”

“Yes. I’m trying to stop it, but I can’t.”

“This is the place then. Alley access. Computer still running. He can’t be far.” She pulls out the desk chair. It stops as it is tethered to the desk. “This is super weird. Why tie it to the desk? And why isn’t there a monitor?” She sits down in the chair. “CPU. Speakers. Keyboard. No mouse either. Not that a good hacker needs one. But the monitor…” She looks down at the keyboard. The letters are completely worn off from use. But the keys have little raised bumps on them. She gasps. “He’s blind. The UnSub is blind.”

“What?”

Dani knows she has mere moments before people start dying. Fortunately, she’s prepared. She closes her eyes and reaches out the keyboard. “The keyboard is in braille.” Reid goes to stop her as her fingers move across the keys.

“Wait! How will you know what you’re typing?”

“Trust me. I know a keyboard like the back of my hand. Now, hush. I need to picture it.” Her fingers move with increasing speed. “How am I doing, Penny?”

“Good. I think it stopped.”

“Let me know when I’ve completely shut it down.”

Morgan’s voice sounds in their ears. “Hotch, I’ve got a blind man with a stick hurrying down the block. Should I go get him?”

“Yes, but proceed with caution.”

Dani reaches up and yanks the ear piece out of her ear. “Reid. Tell me when Penny responds. I can’t see it with all the chatter.”

“See it?”

“In my head.”

He nods and just watches her work. Her eyes dart behind her eyes as her fingers move without an ounce of hesitation. Her mind acting as a computer monitor. And it makes complete sense to her how he could have botched his malware like he did. He’d never see the typos before executing it. The speakers likely read the file to him once it is delivered. This blind guy has no idea the number of people who have died just so he could give hospitals a large amount of stolen, untraceable money. She honestly feels a little bad for him. This is going to crush him, if she’s right that he was just trying to pull a modern day Robin Hood.

“She said you stopped it.”

“Good. Tell her I’m taking down his firewalls and she should be able to get complete access and control.”

She hears him repeat what she said. “She’s got it.”

“Cool.” She places the earpiece back in. “Hey, Pen. Let me know when you get what you need and I’ll shut it down to take into evidence.”

“His name is Chad Murphy. He was born blind and last week he was denied an insurance claim with Metro Insurance to get a new service dog after his was killed in an accident. Poor doggy.”

“We’ve got him, boss.”

“Don’t tell him about the deaths yet. Just bring him in for the theft. We should tell him at HQ.”

***

She stands in the conference room. Her bag sitting open on the table, her tablet lying beside it. She knew it was too good to be true. That she’d be welcomed into the BAU right then and there. Of course, she’d have to apply. Like everyone else. But she doesn’t feel very hopeful she’ll get that position since she doesn’t have near as much case experience as the other people no doubt applying. “You did excellent work, Dani.”

She looks over her shoulder and sees Rossi standing in the doorway. She smiles and nods. “Thanks. Just wish I wasn’t going back to tactical. Beats going back to the cave, I suppose.”

He comes into the room and pats her on the back. “We couldn’t have solved this without you. Sure, he may have stopped once he learned he was killing people. Poor kid had no clue. But having you on the team today saved a lot of lives.”

“And you think if I apply I’ll get in?”

“Honestly? No. Kate still might come back. And JJ definitely will, when she’s ready. There’s not an opening yet. Just stick with it, kid. Again, we couldn’t have done this without you.”

She picks up her tablet and sticks it in her bag. “Well, at least I got some sunlight and didn’t have to wear all that gear.” She zips her bag and heads for the door. “Thanks, Rossi.”

“Don’t mention it.”

She sees that Penelope is waiting for her at the glass doors. Her friend is smiling brightly. She knows she should be happy. She was in this office one day and solved a difficult case. Without her, dozens more could be dead. A point they all made at one time or another during the case. The UnSub even thanked her for stopping him, begging Hotch to speak to her, since he had no idea his code was killing people. She shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up that this would be permanent. Especially when a formal opening didn’t exist. Those open chairs still had agents assigned to them.

“So, are we going out tomorrow?”

Dani shrugs. “I don’t know. Doesn’t really feel like a victory when this guy had good intentions and is likely going to rot behind bars for the rest of his life. I mean sure, he killed a lot of people, but…”

“I get what you’re saying. But that’s not really the problem.”

“Nope.” She looks back over her shoulder as they stand in front of the elevator. “I want a desk in that room.”

“Well, I happen to know you made a great impression. You’ve been discussed. Keep an eye out for an opening because I bet you’d get it since they all know they can work with you.”

“Not getting my hopes up, but thanks Penny.”

“Soooo…?”

The elevator doors open and Dani steps inside. “Alright, fine. Send me the details and I’ll meet you there.”

“Excellent!” As the doors close, she watches her friend practically skip down the hallway. It throws up a red flag. Why would she be that excited about going out to dinner? They eat together all the time. At least on weekends, when the BAU doesn’t need her. And her second full-time job has been relatively quiet lately, something that is actually a little concerning given that her brothers just let the oldest evil ever out of her cage, so her weekends have been free for some time now. Well, except for today. Working on a Saturday is definitely not her norm. As if criminals would take the day off. But it’s not her assigned schedule. Still, having dinner shouldn’t be a big deal even if their customary meal got a location upgrade. What is special about dinner in an actual restaurant on a Sunday? She shakes her head and steps out onto the first floor.

She sighs and walks through the halls towards her office. It’s a ghost town in there on the weekends. Not a single person working on a single case, despite the fact that crime doesn’t sleep in this world and these offices are barely used since more often than not her team is meeting in a locker room or at whatever vehicle they need. Still, the hallway is bland by comparison. And she knows this is not what Gideon intended when he recruited her.

She unlocks her office door and pushes it open. The room is pitch black when the door is closed and the lights are off. No windows for SA Winchester. She flips the switch and illuminates the plain walls. The room is only just big enough for a small U shaped desk, each side with a keyboard, mouse, and multiple screens. She built this system so that she can still freelance at Cybercrimes if she needs to. Knowing her hacker background, the Bureau insisted she keep that door open.

She drops her go bag by the door. A bag she always has ready, but never uses since her assignments are largely local. She fishes the tablet out of it and plops down in the black office chair and turns to face the screens. All off which are powered down. She doesn’t bother turning them on. She won’t be here long. She opens a drawer with slots in it. Each slot has an electronic device in it. She reaches in and pulls the charging cable for the bottom of the one empty slot. She plugs in the tablet. She starts a data transfer and sets it on the desk while it completes. She spins slowly in her chair staring up at the white squared ceiling. It’s days like this that remind her why she’s stuck around for so long. Hunting is definitely more fulfilling, more exciting. But it doesn’t really feel like the world she belongs to. Working on a team of intelligent people who actually listen when she talks, saving people, to be able to act without fear that her double life will be detected. 

She sighs and pulls the ponytail from her hair. She shakes her long brown locks with both hands to free it from its twisted, restrained style. She stretches her arms in front of her and seeing the purple plaid on her arms makes her smile. No tactical gear. No all black clothing. The weight of her gun a welcome comfort. She closes her eyes and sets her resolve. She’d join that team one day. Even if she had to continuously interject herself to do it.


	2. DuPont Circle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday to Me! Here's a new chapter as a gift! (April 16, 2020)
> 
> Made a change to this chapter (July 17, 2020) See notes at the end of this chapter for details.

The near constant buzzing of her phone on the nightstand wakes her. The sun is streaming through her window. She groans and uncurls her arm from under her pillow. She paws around on the top of the nightstand, feeling for her phone without opening her eyes. She doesn’t even look at the screen before answering. “Winchester.”

“Dani!”

“What do you want, Penny?”

“Oh. Did I wake you?”

She sighs and pushes herself onto her side. “It’s fine. What’s up?”

“Well, I wanted to solidify our plans for tonight.”

“Dinner, right?”

“Right. Well, I was talking to Morgan and he offered us this place he has a standing reservation at. It’s like super nice and I’ve always wanted to go there.”

“That place on DuPont?”

“You know it?”

“I know of it.” She flops onto her back. “Isn’t it his standard first date place?”

“That’s the one.”

“So, what about it?”

“We’re going there tonight. He’s buying.”

“What? Why?”

“Because it’s fancy and you promised to go out with me tonight and it’s to celebrate and I wanna get all dressed up for once and…”

She laughs. “Ok. Ok. We’ll go. How fancy is this place? Do I have to wear a dress?”

“Yes. You do. And no weapons either, because I know you and you won’t need it.”

“You don’t know that, but ok. You’re lucky I like you.”

“I’m your favorite person and you know it.”

“Sometimes you push your luck.”

“Do you own a dress?”

“Seriously?”

“Well, I’ve never seen you in one so…”

Dani sits up and runs her fingers through her wild, tangled hair. “I happen to own one dress. It’s black. And before you ask. I do own shoes to go with it. I hate them, but I have them.”

“I expect you to go all out on this, Danielle Winchester. I know I will be.”

“Yeah, yeah. I hear ya. Am I meeting you there?”

“Sure. He got us a reservation for 7, but it’s under his name so we can get his usual table.”

She chuckles. “Penny, if you wanted to ask me out on a date, you could have just said so.”

Her friend’s laughter rings in her ear. “I thought I already had. See you at 7!” She hangs up and Dani shakes her head. How she’d become friends with someone so different from her she’d never know. She looks at her phone and sees that it is already 1 pm. She may have lied to her best friend just now. She had no need for a dress. She’s not really the dress wearing type. She throws the covers off and heads for the bathroom. She’s going to need to go shopping before she meets Penny at this restaurant.

***

Dani sits on the train, completely ignoring the glances and stares of the men and a few women. Well, that’s not quite true. She’s never completely oblivious to her surroundings, she just chooses not to acknowledge them. She can’t hear what they are saying to her or about her though, something she learned early on when living in a city. Always wear headphones and listen to something loud. She’s fairly certain she’d have something mean to say to them if she could hear them.

She fiddles with the small black clutch in her lap. She’s not used to carrying one, but she can’t exactly keep her phones, wallet, and keys in her bra, especially not in the dress she’s wearing. The form fitting black dress with thick straps is both modest and flattering. And she just knows Penelope is going to comment on the fact that she didn’t drive, but she just didn’t feel right driving her car barefoot, because there is no way she’d be able to drive with the black strappy stilettoes she is wearing. Despite it being last minute, she actually really likes how this ensemble turned out. She even managed to get her hair to do that cute little wispy side braid she saw online without too much effort. Add smoky eyes and simple lip gloss and she could almost forget that she is a badass hunter/FBI agent.

The train gets to the stop before hers and she stands. She’s not used to the heels, at least not ones with this thin of a heel. Again, it is the best she could do on short notice. So, she’s a little unsteady, but not enough to fall or anything. Some of the men in the group ogling her, press closer together around the door. She rolls her eyes, knowing this is just a toxic masculinity tactic to touch her. She clears her throat as she approaches. She can see that one of them is talking to her. She rolls her eyes again and removes one headphone. “What?”

“This your stop, mama?”

She scoffs. “I am hardly your mother. But no, it’s the next one. So, if you’ll excuse me…”

He doesn’t move. “Come on, babe. He can’t be that important. Nothing compared to me.”

She smirks. “ _She_ happens to be very important. And if you make me late, you’ll have a much larger problem on your hands.”

“Ha! I knew she was a dyke!”

She looks through them at the doors knowing she has mere seconds before they open and then close again. She pushes through the group and grabs the collar of the smallest guy in the bunch. The one right by the door. She plants a big kiss on his lips. The whole group stares at her stunned. She breaks her hold on him and he leans against the door. “That’s what he gets for assuming.” She winks at him and he smiles back at her. The doors open and she saunters out onto the platform. She watches the train out of the corner of her eye. The men are slapping him on the back. She knows she just made his night and the ass blocking her path will likely be the butt of that story for years to come. She smirks and heads for the street.

Once topside, she coils her headphones and checks her lip gloss, before continuing on to the restaurant. By the look of the exterior, she’s going to have to say that this place serves Italian. Likely overpriced, but if this is where Penelope wants to eat, so be it. She nods to the valet as she walks past him. He looks at her a little strangely. Must not be too common for people to walk to this place. A well-dressed man opens the door for her and she thanks him. She steps into the dimly lit restaurant. It’s not dark by any means. The lighting is just dark enough to make it romantic, but not enough to where she won’t be able to see anything. He rushes around her to stand at a podium. “Are you dining with anyone tonight, Miss?”

“Yes. I’m meeting a friend. The reservation should be under Derek Morgan.”

He runs his finger down a list and nods. “Ah yes. Mr. Morgan’s table it just this way. Follow me.”

She thinks that Penelope must already be here if she’s being led to the table. She follows him to a secluded corner of the restaurant. A chilled bottle of wine and menus are already waiting at the table he is walking towards. There is also a person sitting at the table. Judging by the amount of curly brown hair on the back of his head, she has a feeling she knows what she has just walked into. Upon seeing the host, he pushes his chair back and stands. His is wearing a black suit, black vest, dark purple tie, a muted blue shirt, and black dress shoes. He shoves his hands into his pockets and nods to the host. She continues walking and stops at the side of the table. His eyes go wide for a moment and she smiles. “Not who you were expecting I take it?”

“Uh… no. I was expecting Morgan.”

“Well, I am certainly not him.”

“Yep.”

She nods to the host. He tells them to enjoy and goes back to the front of the restaurant. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t just decide to just bail upon seeing the environment for your dinner.”

“I’d never do that.”

“If it’s any consolation, I wouldn’t have known. I would have called Penelope to see what was taking her so long.”

“Penelope?”

“That’s who I was expecting.”

“Oh.”

He looks down and away. She smiles. He’s so adorable when he’s nervous. She moves towards her chair. “Well, since we’re both dressed up and here, might as well enjoy ourselves.” He watches her sit down and place the small purse on the table. She looks at his seat and then back up at him. “Having second thoughts, Dr. Reid?”

“No. Not at all.” He hurriedly sits back down and scoots closer to the table. “I… uh… you look… really nice.”

“And nearly unrecognizable from yesterday?”

He chuckles and nods. “It took me a moment to recognize you, yes.” He smiles softly and looks down at the fancy folded fabric napkin in front of him. “The compliment still stands.”

“Thank you. You look good as well.”

“Thanks.” She has a feeling he doesn’t really believe that, but no need to make a big deal about that now. “So, are you annoyed that we were lied to?”

She shakes her head. “Maybe initially. What really bothers me is that it feels like my best friend doesn’t think I could have set this up on my own.”

“You… would have set this up on your own?”

She smiles. She figured he’d pick up on the underlying meaning. “It would be with your knowledge, of course. Cutting out the middlemen.”

She watches his cheeks turn a little pink. “Are you saying you would have asked me out on your own?”

“Not this soon after meeting. I think she got a little jumpy when I made a passing comment that I find you attractive.”

“Me?”

She takes her napkin off her plate and smooths it out in her lap. “That surprises you?”

“A little. Yes. You’re just… as Morgan would say, out of my league.”

She rolls her eyes. “You know, I hate that concept. As if social norms have any bearing on my preferences. If that were true, I would have gone out with the Neanderthal on the train that tried to block my path in getting here. We like what we like. There’s not a lot we can do to control that.”

“He seems to think it’s more my personality that turns women off.”

She smirks. “Well, I happen to like intelligent men. Plus, I think you’re cute. So, Derek Morgan’s opinion has no bearing on this particular social interaction. Though he did get you here, so his opinion can’t be all bad.”

“Think Penelope had something to do with that?”

“Oh, I bet he had no idea until she went and blabbed.” She picks her menu up off the table. He picks up his own and they are quiet for a moment as they browse. It worries her slightly that there are no prices. She looks up at him and feels like his expression mirrors hers. His eyebrows are knit together and his lips are pursed. She closes the menu and pulls his down. “You had no idea this place was expensive, did you?”

He shakes his head. “Morgan didn’t mention it.”

“You think this would be something he would mention. We’re government employees. They don’t exactly pay well enough for this kind of thing.”

“He knows that. Hang on.” He pulls out his phone.

“Are you calling him? On a date?”

He smirks and she’s glad he can hear the playfulness in her tone. “Can we pause for a moment?”

She sits back in her chair. “Dr. Reid, this is not a good first impression.” She smiles as he places the phone next to his ear. He places his finger on his lips to shush her. She scoffs as the phone rings. “And now you’re telling your date to be quiet. Tsk tsk tsk. You’ve got a lot to learn.”

He smiles. The teasing and jovialness in her voice is evident. He puts it on speaker and Morgan answers a few seconds later. “Why the hell are you calling me while you are on your date?”

“A date that I had no idea about.”

“Sorry about that, kid. I figured you might not go if you knew. Why are you calling?”

“The menu doesn’t have prices.”

“Is she sitting there?”

“Of course not. I told her I needed to wash my hands.”

“Smart. As for the price, don’t worry about it. I’m covering it.”

“Really? Why?”

“Didn’t think I’d need to spell it out, kid.”

“No. I guess not.”

“Now get back in there and tell her to order whatever she wants.”

“Thanks Derek.”

“Have fun, kid.” He hangs up the phone and puts it in his pocket.

She smiles and returns her attention to the menu. “Well, hot damn! This calls for champagne, appetizers, and desert.”

“You realize he is also a government employee?”

She peers at him over her menu. “Yes, but it’s only fair. He set you up. Lied to you. Abused the power of your friendship. It’s only fair to return the favor.”

He chuckles. “Then maybe we should tell our friends that this was a disaster.”

“Who’s to say it’s not?” She winks at him and quickly decides what she wants. She gives him time to decide before setting her menu down. The server comes over and they tell her what they want. Wine is poured and Dani watches him mull something over in his head. It is painfully obvious to her that dating is not something he does often, if at all. Even with the strong start, the beginning of dinner is spent in relative silence. She doesn’t mind it. He’s sweating and keeps flashing her nervous smiles as he struggles to think of some topic of conversation. She decides to save him.

“So, you’ve been at the BAU your whole career?” 

He nods. “You’re in Cybercrimes, right?”

“I used to be. I’m in tactical, now.”

“How long have you been there?”

“3 years in November. I also freelance at Cybercrimes from time to time. I’m a valuable asset to have.”

“From what I heard from you yesterday, I’d have to agree.”

“How long have you been with BAU?”

“11 years, 8 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days.”

She chuckles and takes a sip of her wine. “You know the exact date?”

“I know the exact number on a lot of things.”

“So, you started at the BAU in early 2004? I was an unemployed college graduate then. Just goes to show that a degree isn’t everything.”

“I have three degrees and three doctorates.”

“Thus the prefix.”

He nods and studies her face. She is looking right at him. Her expression soft with a hint of a smile. He doesn’t usually pry into people’s lives, especially outside of work, but he wants to know more about her and she seems to be forthcoming enough. “You started Cybercrimes in 2011, based on what Rossi said before he asked you to profile the unsub and how long you said you’ve been in tactical, but you can’t have started there. You have to work up to that, just like the BAU, unless exceptions are made, but those are rare.”

She just smirks at him. “Reserved for geniuses, no doubt. I sense a question hiding in there, Dr. Reid.”

“Did you start in Cybercrimes or were you somewhere else first?”

“I started in Cybercrimes right out of the academy. I have been loaned out for undercover work from time to time. Nothing too serious though. Not sure how much you know, but my background isn’t that different from Garcia’s.”

“You were a hacker?”

She chuckles. “Not exactly.”

She watches the wheels turn. “So, you were recruited in for something not related to your tech skills, but potentially illegal, which is why you are trained in fieldwork and not just an analyst like Garcia. But when they went to place you afterwards, someone decided your skills were better used there.”

“Bingo.”

He nods. “I’m sorry if you think I’m profiling you. It’s hard to turn off.”

“Easier said than done, I imagine.”

He nods. The waitress brings their first course. Dani wastes no time in using the serving spoon to scoop up half of the stuffed mushrooms onto her appetizer plate. She replaces the spoon and motions toward the table for him to dig in. He scoops a few onto his plate, but doesn’t eat them right away. She spears one and pops it into her mouth. She closes her eyes and hums. He smirks and looks down at his own plate. From what he’s heard from Derek, this is not normal behavior for a woman on a first date. They normally eat very little in order to give off a dainty first impression. She clearly has no concern about that.

He licks his bottom lip and looks up at her, ignoring the food in front of him. “What’s your degree in?”

She smiles and sits up a little straighter in her the seat. “Did I say degree? I meant degrees.”

“You have more than one?”

“Two. I have a B.A. in Computer Science, which you probably could have guessed.” He nods. “But I also have a B.A. in Folklore and Mythology.”

He looks over at her and raises an eyebrow. “Folklore and Mythology? That’s kind of out there.”

“It was a last-minute choice before I finished the first one. I didn’t even know such a thing existed and then I’m in the bookstore my last semester and I see this textbook. It was massive and had a symbol on it I recognized from my…” He can hear the hesitation in her voice. The first time since they’ve met that he has heard her falter on anything. He assumes it has to do with some event or person from her past. She clears her throat and continues. “Well, he had an enormous collection of books and I remembered this symbol from one of them and it called me in. I flipped through it, bought it, read it, and signed up for the class later that day.”

“You read the whole book?”

She nods. “You seem surprised by that.”

“By definition, textbooks are a standard for a particular area of work. The average textbook is anywhere from 600 to 1500 pages including indexes and appendixes. And you read the whole thing in a day?”

She licks her lips and covers her smile with her wine glass. She takes a sip and places it back down. “How fast do you read?”

“20,000 words per minute.”

“Well, I’m not you, but I do ok. How many books have you read so far today?” She holds up her hand, “Don’t answer that. But yes. Mythology fascinates me and we both know that our minds are more willing and faster at absorbing information we deem interesting or important. Correct?”

“Correct.”

The waitress comes back to the table with small side salads. Spencer picks up his fork and she watches him check it for cleanliness, before placing his napkin in his lap. She lets him take a few bites of the salad before she speaks again. “Not a fan of mushrooms?”

He looks at the plate he has pushed to the side. “Oh, uh. I’m not, not a fan. I’m just not in the mood to ingest fungi today.”

She smirks and bites her lip. The urge to make a pun is nearly overwhelming, but she manages to resist. She holds out her hand. “Then may I have those?”

He chuckles. “Sure.” He picks up his plate and passes it to her. They eat in silence for a while. She devours the mushrooms and digs into her salad. Again, he notes that she seems completely at ease in her eating habits despite the stereotypical conservativeness most women are geared towards in public. Rather than being put off by it, he finds it refreshing. The waitress comes to clear their empty plates and refill their wine. She tells them the main courses will be out shortly. They both smile and nod to her and she walks off. “So, other than avoiding potential jail time, what made you join the FBI?”

She laughs. “I said it was similar to Penelope’s story. Jail time was never on the table since the agent involved didn’t actually file any charges or paperwork on our meeting. I checked afterwards. But the way he talked about it, and with a little nudge from my dad, I decided to go ahead with it.”

“And did I hear right that you wanted to join the BAU?”

She nods. “From the start, it’s why I got all the training I did. Were you recruited or did you just randomly decide that the FBI was the place your smarts could be the most use?”

“It’s kind of a long story.”

She smiles. “We’ve got time.”

The waitress comes by with their entrees. She has ordered grilled chicken fettucine alfredo. He has ordered lasagna. She again wastes no time digging in. “This is going to sound a little crazy, but I used to have these dreams about a dead little boy behind a dryer. A few years ago, I found out it was something my brain picked up in an article or something without me really knowing about it. And I knew that kid. He was my age and it could have been me, according to my mother. Anyway, that lived in my head for a long time and I always wanted to know what happened. Meaning there was always this subconscious fascination. Then I was in class one day, working on my third doctorate, and this FBI Agent came in. He worked for the BAU and was doing a lecture in an attempt to get people to join the FBI. We do that sort of thing from time to time because serial killers draw a big crowd and who better to talk to a bunch of impressionable college kids?” She laughs and he grins that she caught his attempt at a joke. It’s not often that someone does that. “I’m 21 and sitting front and center.”

“Of course, you are.”

“And when I all but took over the presentation, correcting his statistics and even some of the profiles of historic serial killers, I wasn’t even prolific in that subject yet, he asked me to stay after class. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“Who was the agent?”

He takes a sip from his wine glass. “Gideon.”

She nods and sips her own wine. He looks down at the plate in front of him. She has a short debate in her head. The full truth of her connection to the late agent would likely never come out on its own, but his death sort of made the secret of their history pointless. She never really understood the need to keep him recruiting her a secret, it was largely at his insistence when she wasn’t put in the BAU right away like he wanted. “I knew Gideon. I’ve spoken with him a few times. He’s actually the agent who got me to sign on. I think he had an eye for people who’d be good at this job. I didn’t know him well, but I was sorry to hear he died. I take it you were close?” He nods. “Then I’m sorry I mentioned it.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. I miss him, but there are more good memories than bad.” He looks up at her. Her hand is resting on the table between them, almost like she reached out to touch him, but stopped herself. Did she know about his issues with touching? The corner of his lip twitches up. “I appreciate the concern though.” She slides her hand back, grabs her glass, and sips the wine.

“I know the feeling. Believe me.” She twirls some pasta around her fork before sticking it into her mouth. He takes a few bites before looking back up at her.

“So, if he hadn’t talked you into signing up, what would you have done?”

“Well, I come from a family of mechanics. I have a feeling that’s what I would have ended up doing. I can’t see myself teaching, which is usually what people with my degree end up doing. That or working in an IT department somewhere. Honestly, I never saw myself in law enforcement. After college, I went back to living with my dad and working with him. Then the run in happened and it was strongly encouraged that I try to put my skills to better use. I signed up for the academy that day and 22 weeks later I was riding a desk in Cybercrimes.”

“By the sound of that, I’m assuming it turned out to be something you didn’t sign up for.”

“The complete opposite. As I said before, I wanted the BAU. Saving people. Hunting things.” She smirks at her inside joke. “Morgan can tell you some of this, but I excelled at the physical aspects. I was the best shot in my class, I regularly shoot a 100, and some of those guys were ex-military. They weren’t happy about that, let me tell you. But then I was offered a carrot, and like a stupid rabbit, I chased it. I’m legally not allowed to go into details there, but chasing that carrot landed me in Cybercrimes. Again, that wasn’t what I was going for. I wanted to get in the BAU and it was looking good until that moment. And the initial training for CC wasn’t bad, both field and computer work in equal measure, but then I was assigned to my cave. So, like Penny, I was locked in a lair except I rarely got visitors.”

“You know, I find that a little strange. They put you through all this training. In the field, undercover, I’m sure there was some computer training, though it seems you didn’t need much. Mostly protocols, I imagine. And though you excelled at all that, they stuck you behind a desk. They complain about wasting resources all the time and you clearly fit into that category.” She chuckles and shakes her head. He tries to back pedal, sensing he may have said something wrong. “Not that you’re simply a resource mind you. I just meant that…”

“Spencer. It’s fine. I understand what you mean by that. And I happen to agree. You’re not saying something I haven’t said myself. Morgan has said it too. He’s the whole reason I’m not still stuck behind that desk. The condition for the approval of the transfer to tactical was that I help out if Cybercrimes ever needs it, which is thankfully rare. Yet I’m still trying to get into the BAU, I haven’t given up on that yet. Hopefully my patience will pay off.”

“I’m sure it will. You’re a good fit for the team. At least, that’s the impression I got yesterday.”

“Thanks.” They are quiet for a little while. In that time, the waitress comes to clear her plate and refill their wine again. She is starting to feel the effects and figures she should slow down if she wants to be able to control herself later. “So… do you speak any other languages?”

He nods. “You?”

“I’m fluent in English, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, American Sign Language, and Latin. Well, as much as someone can be fluent in Latin. I can read binary, for obvious reasons, Greek/Ancient Greek, and Enochian. Which I’m also fairly good at speaking, but I wouldn’t call myself fluent.”

“Enochian?”

She kicks herself for the slip. She’s clearly had more wine than she thought. Fortunately, she knows exactly how to cover her tracks. “Enochian is supposed to be the language of angels, but we all know there’s no scientific proof that they exist. So, it’s largely a theoretical language.”

“I’m assuming it’s something you came across in your mythology studies?”

“Bingo. With as much as you read, I imagine you know quite a few languages yourself?”

“I’m afraid you are much more impressive where language is concerned. I am fluent in English, Russian, Korean, and French. I can read some Latin. And I can understand German and Yoruba. My ASL is spotty. I’m thinking about learning Spanish. I only know a few phrases.”

“Yoruba?”

“It’s a language in Nigeria.”

She smiles. “You know, since you know Korean, you could learn Japanese. It’s a complicated language, but knowing Korean is said to help you learn it.”

“I’d like that. There are a few books I’ve wanted to read from Japan, but can’t unless there’s a translation.”

“And translations typically leave something to be desired.”

“I definitely agree with that.” He pushes his plate away from him. “Who taught you to speak Japanese?”

She sighs. “My dad. I feel I should mention that when I refer to him I’m not talking about my father. Bobby was more of a father to me than my own. He’s been gone a while now, but it’s hard to talk about still.”

He nods making the connection that this is the man she’s mentioned but never named. “I know the feeling. Gideon was that person in my life. Though I never got to tell him.”

She reaches forward again, but places her hand in the middle of the table. This is an indication that she definitely knows about his touching thing. But for some reason, maybe it’s the wine, he wants to close the distance. He looks at her and she smiles softly. “I’m sure he knew.”

“I hope he did.” She slides her hand back and lets it fall off the edge of the table into her lap.

He watches her fiddle with the napkin in her lap. She’s clearly trying to decide what she wants to talk about. But he finds himself curious about her age for the first time all night. Her features appear younger than her experience and education imply. “I know this isn’t really a socially acceptable question. I’ve been informed it’s not really polite to ask, but if you wouldn’t mind…”

“Ask away. We’ve already touched on some pretty personal stuff, why not keep going?”

He smirks. “Alright. What’s is your birthday?”

She chuckles. She knows exactly what he’s getting at, but if he had asked it a different way, she wouldn’t have been able to be coy. “May 2nd.”

“Hmm… I see that my question wasn’t specific enough.”

“Yes, when were you born would have been a better choice of words. So, that is my question for you.”

He laughs. “I was born at 3:26 am Pacific. Two can play that game.”

“Clever boy. Alright, let’s see if I can beat you at your own game. So, you said you had been with the BAU 11 years, 8 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days. Like me, an exception was made and you started the BAU right out of the academy. But I get the feeling a man with 3 PhDs probably had more than one type of expectation made. So, I’m going to say that you were younger than you were supposed to be when you started. But not by much, because even with your brains, you still had to go through the program and at least some of the hours to finish the degrees. I’d say that… 1981 is your birth year.”

And there it is. The thing he’s been waiting for. The thing that has been bothering him since the beginning regarding her mind. He felt from the moment they started working on the geographic profile together and she didn’t need to refer to the file to tell him where the insurance companies were, but couldn’t put his finger on why he felt they were so similar. Normal minds didn’t remember details like that with such precision. “You have an eidetic memory.”

“Was I right?”

“Yes. Am I?”

“Yes.” He can tell something is hidden in that yes just by the tone of her voice. Something about her memory has left a negative mark on her.

“October 28th, 1981. Las Vegas, Nevada.”

She appreciates the redirection. Talking about her memory often leads her down a road she doesn’t like to travel. A road, that because of her memory, she remembers every bump along. “Mental note taken. Let’s see if you can deduce mine.”

“You started Cybercrimes in 2011 right out of the academy. You were an unemployed college graduate with two degrees in 2004, which could imply that you finished before then. As you said, degrees take time. Your second degree started when you were about to finish the first, and if you went to a school that is a stickler for the number of hours you can take at once that puts it somewhere between 4 and 6 years since you wouldn’t have had to do core curriculum classes twice. But that comment was also pretty vague. I’m going to say it took 4 years for both. I would say that puts your graduation from high school at 1998. But this is where it gets challenging. I get the distinct impression that you are younger than me which rules out 1981 since a May 2nd birthday and a traditional timeline would put you at older so… I’m going to say you were born in 1982.”

“Close, but no. Which means, I win.”

“Where did I go wrong?”

“I never went to high school. I got a G.E.D. at 15.”

“May 2nd, 1983.”

“Lawrence, Kansas.”

“Why a G.E.D.?”

“We moved around a lot. So, we were mostly homeschooled.”

“Your dad taught you then?”

“Uh… no actually. My father taught me and my brothers.”

“You have brothers?”

“Two. Both technically older.”

“Technically?”

“Yeah, one of my brothers is my twin and was born a few minutes before me.”

“You’re a twin?”

She nods. “Though you’d never know it by looking at us. I look more like my older brother and both of them got our father’s height.”

“I haven’t heard you mention a mother.”

“She passed away when I was a baby. My father is gone too.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

She shakes her head. “Don’t worry about it. I never knew her and I was never close to my father. That sounds callous, but we never really saw eye to eye and there was bad blood between us for a long time. We sort of resolved it before he died, but the damage had been done. It’s why Bobby is my dad and not him.”

“I get that. I’ve been estranged from my father for years. My mother still lives in Las Vegas.”

“Any siblings?”

He chuckles. “No. My mother says I was too perfect and she knew she could never create something better.”

“Aw. That’s sweet.”

The waitress comes up to the table. She picks up his plate. “Would you like a box?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“And did we want desert?”

She nods and he tilts his head to look at her. “Tiramisu, please.” The waitress looks at Spencer and he just shrugs. Neither of them know how she’s putting all of this away. She simply nods and leaves the table. She sees the looks on his face. “Don’t judge me. I work out a lot so my caloric intake is higher than normal people. In fact, I’ll probably go on a run when this is over.”

“I’m not judging you. I’m just… wondering how so much volume can go into your stomach? Primarily because typically a human stomach can only be distended up to four-liters.”

“And you think the amount of food I’ve consumed, if blended, would be that much?”

“Well, no.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Nothing. Just you’re so… physically fit.”

She smirks. “And you should know that muscles need fuel in order to be shaped and maintained. Thus a high calorie diet. I run daily. Usually after my shift unless I have plans. I weight lift regularly. Believe me when I say, I have to stay at my peak physical condition in order to do my job properly. Being the only woman in SWAT to run a team is a very big deal. And though I’m not solely focused on fitness, it’s definitely something I think about.” He simply nods and she smiles. “I’m not offended if that’s what you’re worried about. I get that look a lot when I got out to eat.”

“Good. It wasn’t my intention to offend you.”

“Something you’ll soon learn about me is that I don’t get offended easily, so there really is no need to apologize. It will be painfully obvious when you should.”

“Alright then.”

The waitress brings the desert with two spoons and sets it between them. She grabs one and motions to the other. “Ever had tiramisu?”

“Don’t think so.”

“Oh, then you have to try it. Do you like coffee?”

“I live off coffee for the most part.”

“Then you’ll like this.” She picks up the spoon and holds it out to him. He takes it, checks the cleanliness, and scoops up a piece.

“Oh wow.”

She smiles. “You know, I’m not much of a cook. Like, at all. But I can bake. This is one of the things I can make, though it’s not my specialty.”

“What is?”

“Pie.”

“I’m more of a cake person.”

She laughs. “Liking cake doesn’t preclude you from liking pie as well.”

“That’s true, I suppose. But I’ve never really had a pie I liked.”

“I’ll have to work on that then.”

They finish their desert and the waitress brings over the check. She empties the rest of the wine bottle into their glasses. He opens the black padded folder and is relieved to see that it just has a list of what they’ve had and the word paid written below it. A large part of him doesn’t want to know how much Derek is going to have to pay for this. He still pulls out his wallet to leave a tip. Not knowing that total makes calculating what it should be difficult. He opts to just leave a 20 and let Derek know later. He sets it on the table. They still have wine and he supposes they should at least stick around to finish it since it is paid for. Though he is feeling the effects of it and can’t exactly get into his car until it wears off. Maybe she’d stick around until then? It occurs to him that she has been hinting, quite strongly that there is the possibility of doing this again. He smiles to himself as he takes a long drink from his glass.

“Something wrong, Dr. Reid?”

“Wrong? No, quite the opposite.”

“Oh?”

“I just realized that you’ve been hinting strongly that you’d like to do this again.”

“That I have. For a while now.” She finishes her glass and sets it on the table. “Do you feel the same way?”

“I do.”

“Well, good.” She smiles. He finishes his wine.

“I uh… Would you like to walk around with me for a while? I need to sober up before I drive home.”

She pushes back from the table and slowly stands. Testing her legs to make sure they can still handle walking in her heels. She is a little shaky given the bottle of wine they shared, a bottle which she is fairly sure she had more of. And red wine runs right to her head. Liquor and beer she is used to, but there is something about wine that does her in. Particularly the red kind. He stands and pushes his chair in. He motions for her to walk ahead of him. She smiles and tucks her clutch under her arm. He follows behind her to the door, watching her hips sway in front of him. He licks his lips, admiring her curves in the form fitting dress. This is all the evidence he needs that he is more intoxicated than he planned to be. As they reach the door, he hurries ahead of her to open it. The valet nods to him and then smiles when he sees the woman he is with. He smiles in return and she stops near the valet stand.

“Where to, Dr. Reid?”

He gestures across the street. “It’s a nice night, we could just walk around the fountain.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They walk side by side across the street. They start to stroll around the fountain and he hears her chuckle. He looks over as she smiles. “I don’t know about you, Dr. Reid. But I feel pretty intoxicated.”

He laughs. Her words aren’t 100% clear, but they aren’t slurred either. If he hadn’t been talking to her so long, he might not have noticed. He has to admit that his head is less than clear as well. It has been a long time since he’s let himself enjoy something that much. Meaning he wasn’t paying attention to how much he was drinking. He gets an idea and he’s not sure how he feels about it. He licks his lips and decides to throw caution to the wind. Live in the moment. He offers his arm. “Would you like assistance?”

She stops walking and tilts her head to the side. “You sure about that? Don’t you have a thing about touching?”

“So, you do know about that?”

“It’s a germ thing, right?”

“Micro-organisms, but yes. And I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t sure.”

“Alrighty then.” She moves her clutch to the crook of her other arm and hooks her arms though his, bringing her hand to rest on his bicep. They walk side by side around the fountain in a comfortable silence. Her hand absentmindedly rubs his arm. And even though he is wearing a jacket, he can feel the tiny motions. She tilts her head to rest it on his shoulder and hugs his arm a little tighter. Butterflies flutter wildly in his stomach at the intimate gesture. She feels him tense and decides it’s probably time to start talking again. So, she says the first thing her mind can come up with. “Did you know that in Ancient Egypt, they believed that only men could pass over into the Afterlife?”

He looks at her and smiles brightly. “What spurred that?”

She shrugs. “It’s the first thing that came to mind.”

He sticks his free hand in his pocket and bends the arm that she’s holding to solidify the connection. “If that’s the case, then why did they bother to mummify women?”

“Have you ever noticed that female mummies are wrapped in red? Not that you can tell the color of the fabric after so long, but the sarcophagi are painted with red and some even resemble men?”

He nods. “I have to admit I haven’t really studied that.”

“Well, red was considered a masculine color. Women didn’t wear it for that reason. So, when a woman died, particularly an important one, they would adorn the body and sarcophagus in red to sort of fool the gods into accepting them into the Afterlife.”

“That’s really interesting. I wonder if they ever felt guilty for lying to their gods? That seems like something they’d be concerned about.”

“We have no real way of knowing for sure, but they wouldn’t do it if they feared their wrath, right?”

“But if their organs were removed and preserved too, wouldn’t that be an indicator that she was female?”

“I like to think that once she crossed over, they’d be like, ‘Oh, well, you’re already here, might as well stay.’ I’m sure those weren’t the exact words, but you get the idea.”

He chuckles. “Christians have a very different opinion on that.”

“Right. You get to the pearly gates and they read off your transgressions and Saint Peter either lets you in or you take the express elevator downstairs.”

He fiddles with the buttons on his jacket and nibbles on his lip. He likes this exchange more than he can possibly express. He loves trivia of all kinds. He loves it even more that she started it. “Did you know that many philosophers believe that mankind’s invention of religion is the reason evil exists?”

She chuckles. “Care to elaborate?”

“Well, the study I’m referring to focused on how people reacted to certain things before the invention of organized religion. Primarily if a hunter heard a rustling in the grass, he had to act, or react rather, to that stimulus, without really knowing if it was his prey or if it was a predator.”

“It was just nature back then. A reaction to the world around them. No moral compass to dictate whether they were right or wrong.”

“Precisely. Fast forward and we find that someone has decided what is right and wrong, like stealing from someone or…”

“Killing them.”

“Right. So, really this concept of morality, funneled through the lens of religion, lead to the human concept of evil.”

“Makes sense. Though I could argue that though the concept of evil might be a human invention that is not to say that evil doesn’t exist.”

“I’d have to agree with you there. Just because the word or the way we understand it might have been a manmade concept, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist in its own right.”

“Did you know that in an attempt to regain her power after her exile from Egypt, Cleopatra had herself rolled up in a rug and had it delivered to Caesar, behind enemy lines, as a gift?”

Her letting her hidden trove of useless knowledge out of its cage has done its job. He has relaxed exponentially and isn’t playing twenty questions like he was before. They spend their walk trading little nuggets of trivia. She loves the way he lights up when he talks about something. He is a fountain of knowledge and though it is vastly different from the stuff in her mind, some of which went over her head, she is really enjoying being able to let this part of herself out in the light for once. She still has to be careful about saying something too closely related to actual monster lore, but she finds out that sticking to things that were covered in school or in a museum are a safe bet. Time moves quickly after that. 

As they walk around the fountain, he feels her trace the inside of his arm. “You like doing that.”

She looks up at him. “Doing what?” He looks down at her hand at the crook of his elbow. She follows his gaze. “Oh. Does it bother you?”

“Not as much as I would have thought. I’m not used to someone being in my…”

“Personal space?”

He chuckles. “Which I don’t seem to have much of right now.”

She winks at him. “I could always be closer.” His cheeks flush and he quickly looks away from her. He feels her chin poke into his shoulder. His eyes shift to her face, but his head doesn’t turn. Her eyebrows are raised and her eyes are bright and shinning. She actually looks much younger than he’s ever seen her. She looks… adorable. And that’s not a word he would have had readily available to describe her. “That was too much, yeah?”

He chuckles. She is clearly more intoxicated than she even knew. “It’s fine.”

She pulls on his arm to make him stop walking and turns him to face her. She places her hands on his shoulders. “Spencer. If I ever do something that you are not comfortable with or bothers you, I want you to tell me. No matter how embarrassed you might feel about it, because I can assure you, the last thing I want is some awkward wedge to be placed between us because I did something you didn’t like.”

“It’s not that I didn’t like the comment. I’m just not used to them being directed at me.”

She nods. She runs her hands slowly down his arms. He closes his eyes. A chill runs up his spine that has nothing to do with autumn air. She takes both of his hands in hers. “Is that blush from me or the cold or the alcohol?”

He smiles, eyes still closed. “Maybe a mixture of all three.”

“Well. I will warn you now. I think it’s adorable and I’ll probably keep making it happen until you tell me to stop it.”

She steps closer to him and his eyes snap open. She has invaded his personal space again. She isn’t pressed up against him exactly, but there is very little light between them. His face and ears feel like they are on fire. Part of him, a large part of him if he’s honest, wants to step back, put some space between them. But there’s another part. A more foreign part that not only wants her to stay there, but wants to close that distance. But he is reluctant to give into the urge since it hasn’t really panned out in the past. His body reacts before his mind can catch up. He takes a step back. She smiles. “And now I know your limit. I will say though that you stood there longer than expected.”

He should probably be a little upset that she is testing him. He can tell right away that is exactly what she is doing. Whatever act she was playing at has fallen away when his instinct pulled him away from her. Her smile is polite and slightly apologetic. She drops one of his hands and starts walking again. They are quiet as they make their way around the fountain. He looks down at their joined hands. It happened so naturally, no thought, just movement. He finds he likes the feeling of her warm palm against his. So, he lets it continue. They don’t talk for a little while, and it starts out as an uncomfortable silence. One that she’s afraid has undone the work she put in to get him to open up a little. But the flexing in his hand leads her to believe that he is actually thinking about something. So the discomfort is just on her end. They make another circle, they walk to sober both of them up. Her feet ache from all the walking, but she’s not about to tell him that. She’s actually enjoying their quiet walk. He lifts their joined hands and looks at his watch. “Somewhere to be?”

“Not sure about you, but I have work in the morning. Not that I’m looking to cut this short if you want to continue.”

She lifts their joined hands to look at his watch. “Oh wow.” Time has flown past. “I can’t believe it’s almost midnight. When does the restaurant close? Didn’t you park your car in valet?”

“Yeah. I did. And I’m not sure when they close.”

“Then we can at least get your car. I’d hate for you to miss out on getting it back.”

They walk hand in hand back to the restaurant. He offers the valet his ticket and he rushes off to get the car. She sees an older model, two-door white car pull up. Being raised by mechanics, she has a pretty good idea what kind of car it is. The year is harder to place. When the car pulls up, Spencer reaches forward to open the door. She smiles at him before sitting down. He closes the door once she’s inside. She runs her hand over the red leather bucket seat. The car is not in pristine shape, but she doesn’t expect people to obsess on their car’s condition like she and her brother do. She waits from him to get in and close the door. They both buckle up. “I like your car.”

“Thanks. It’s nothing special.” He starts the car and starts pulling out of the roundabout. She listens to the engine trying to determine the specs.

“Volvo Amazon P130, but I can’t place the year.”

“You must know a lot about cars. Most people have no idea what kind of car this is.”

“How’d you get it?”

“It was my mom’s.” She nods. “How do you know so much about cars?”

“My dad…”

“Bobby.”

“Right. Owned a salvage yard. And you know, the whole family of mechanics thing.” She looks over at him. “So, where are we going?”

“I’m not sure to be honest. There aren’t too many options at this hour.” He glances over at her. “Hang on. How did you get to the restaurant?”

She chuckles. “Remember the comment I made about the Neanderthal on the train?”

“You took the train. I remember now.”

“And I guess since we both have to be up early, we should probably call it.”

“Where to then?”

She gives him the address and he smirks. “What?”

“I live one stop from you.”

“Small world.” She watches him shift gears and smirks. “I don’t know why I expect people not to know how to drive stick anymore.”

“Well, this particular car gets way better gas mileage with a manual transmission. The automatic is notorious for its high fuel consumption.”

She licks her lips. Cars are a weakness and she really likes that he knows that much about his car. “That’s what you get when the people who designed cars were more into looks than preserving the environment.”

“In the 60’s and 70’s, they were more concerned with civil rights and the Vietnam War than conserving gas.”

“True.”

They lapse into silence as he drives. She reaches out to the old radio and clicks it on. Classical music starts playing. She sits back and looks out the window. He chuckles. “You can change it if you want. I know this isn’t what most people listen to.”

She looks at him out of the corner of her eye. “As my brother would say, ‘Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cake hole.’ And I’m not judging you, by the way. The ear likes what it likes.”

“Well, in that case…” He reaches over and cranks the volume. She laughs loudly. He smiles and starts tapping out the rhythm on the steering wheel. Her laughter subsides and she turns in her seat a little to face him. “I’ve never seen anyone jam out to Beethoven before.”

He blinks at her a few times. “You know who this is?”

She nods. “I’ve been dragged to a symphony or two in my time.”

“You’ll have to tell me about that sometime. And why you used the word dragged.”

“I’d tell you now, but I’m having to shout over the 7th Sympathy.” He is dumbfounded. Everything about her seems like a contradiction. He turns the music down and continues driving. “So, Mozart or Beethoven?”

He shakes his head. “You have no idea how often I have been asked that.”

“And the answer?”

“Mozart, but that’s not to say I discredit Beethoven.”

“Any particular reason?”

“In the case of Beethoven, I admire the complexity of the music. He was deaf so he couldn’t hear what he was creating, which also means that he wasn’t held back by what traditionally sounded good at the time.”

“So, you like underdogs or people who are unique?”

“I guess you could say that.”

“You like people you can see something of yourself in.”

He looks over at her. “That is very true.”

She smiles. “Are you committed to ten and two?”

“It’s actually better to drive 3 and 9.” She smirks. “And I need my hand free to shift.”

“Then maybe I should drive next time.”

He grins as he pulls up outside her apartment building. “You can already tell that there’s going to be a next time?”

“Haven’t we established that already?” He puts the car in park and she holds out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

“Um. Ok.” He pulls the brick style phone out of his pocket. She presses the keys to dial her own number. Her personal cellphone buzzes in her clutch. She hangs it up, saves the contact, and hands him back his phone. “There. Now I have your number and you have my personal number. It took the liberty of saving it for you.” He takes the phone from her palm and shoves it back into his pocket. “And just so we get this out of the way. I’m not expecting a phone call, because technically you already have. And how does Tuesday sound for our second date?”

“Depends on if we get a case or not.”

“Then we will tentatively say we’ve got a date on Tuesday. And let’s make it more casual this time. I know this 24 hour diner not far from here. So, even if you’re held late by a case, we can still go out… unless you’re out of town. In which case, please call and let me know. Hell, I might go anyway. George works on Tuesday nights which means fresh pie.”

He laughs. “I will definitely keep you posted.”

She reaches for the door and turns to look at him. “Are you walking me up or…?”

He kills the motor. “Am I good to park here for a little bit?”

“Yeah. There’s a meter though if you’re worried.” She opens the door before he can get out and moves to stand on the sidewalk. He gets out of the car and goes over the meter. He digs in his pocket and puts a few quarters in. That should be enough for a quick in and out. She holds out her hand and wiggles her fingers. He smiles and takes it. It surprises him a little that they’ve progressed to the hand holding stage in one date. One blind date. They walk together to the door to the building. She digs her keys out of her little purse and uses a key to get in. There are apartments all along the hall, but she leads him to the elevator directly in front of them. The doors open and she presses the number 4. He squeezes her hand as the elevator creaks upward. “I’ve been telling my super he needs to fix this damn thing. I normally take the stairs for this reason, but thought you might be opposed to it.”

“I will be taking them when I go down for sure.”

She chuckles and pats the back of his hand. “Well, if we get stuck, I’ll rescue us.” He smiles and shakes his head. Finally, the slowly moving elevator opens on the fourth floor and they both hurry out. There are four units on the floor and she leads him to a door with the number 404 on it. He sees the three locks on her door. None of the other doors on the floor have three. They all have one. He looks over at her. He finds it a little strange that she has so much more security than everyone else. She frees her hand and unlocks all three locks but doesn’t open the door. “Well, this is me.”

“I can see that.”

“I’d invite you in, but we already agreed that this was it.”

He looks at his watch. “I really should be getting home.”

“Alrighty. Then this is good night, I suppose.”

“I had a great time.”

“Me too. And I’ll see you Tuesday.”

“Absolutely.” He scratches the back of his head. “I’m actually at a loss as to how to wrap this up.”

She sticks her keys in her purse and then spreads her arms. He licks his lips and steps forward to close the distance. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and he wraps his around her torso to place his hands on her back. She squeezes lightly. “Good night, Spencer.”

They slowly separate, but not completely. Her hands slide down his arms, her purse still in one of them. His are still planted on her back. She smiles up at him, watching him lick his lips and blush. “This is where you say good night and I go inside. Unless, you had something else in mind for a farewell gesture.”

His cheeks flush like they are on fire and he steps back. “Good night, Danielle.” 

This is the first time anyone has called her Danielle in years, aside from Penelope when she’s trying to make a point. She introduces herself as Dani, her business cards say Dani. Her driver’s license and credentials say Danielle, but no one really looks at that too closely. So it’s been either that or Winchester since she entered the academy. There had to be a reason for his sudden switch from Dani to Danielle, but she didn’t know him well enough yet to figure out why. So, on the one hand, she didn’t like that he called her that because it reminds her of someone from her past and on the other, she likes it because it is different than what everyone else calls her and maybe he wants saying her name to feel special. Though she is probably reading too much into it. Spencer is friendly, doesn’t touch unless he has to or wants to, and is smarter than any guy she has ever met and liked. She’s met plenty of intellectual types, but she clashed with all of them. She and Spencer seem to get along like a house on fire. She’s never met anyone, save Penelope, that she’s gotten along with so quickly. She simply smiles brightly and turns away from him. She pushes her door open and reaches inside to disarm the alarm. She catches a glimpse of the salt line on the floor and quickly steps inside. She gives him a smile and a tiny wave. He gives her a bashful smile and wave before she shuts the door.

She looks through the peephole. She watches him scratch the back of his head. Then shake it. Before turning for the elevator. She can still him and watches him reach for the button, then turn for the stairs. She chuckles and walks through her apartment. 

The apartment has a semi-open floor plan. Meaning the living room and kitchen are completely open while the dining room is boxed in with a large opening that allows it to feel more connected. The hardwood floors in the living room are covered with a large area rug that takes up almost the entire room. The kitchen is small, but it has an island with barstools which serves as her only dining table. The living room has one oversized gray couch with an old looking quilt draped over the back of it. There’s a matching gray love seat perpendicular to the couch and a worn brown leather recliner on the other side of the couch. There’s a solid wood coffee table and centered on the wall in front of the couch is an entertainment center complete with flat screen and a couple of gaming systems. Where the dining room should be is what appears to be a study. A large L-shaped desk sits in the corner with an expensive looking computer with multiple screens on one side of the L and stacks of paper, books, and rolled up papers are on the other side. A locked cabinet is hung on the wall over that side of the desk. A series of metal filing cabinets sit on the floor at the end of the desk. A plush office chair sits pushed in on the computer side. One entire wall of the makeshift study is covered in bookshelves. They aren’t completely full, but it wouldn’t take much. There is only one other door in the room. Which leads to her bedroom and bathroom.

She does a quick check under the rug to see if the devil’s trap is still intact. She kicks off her heels and goes over to the window in her living room. She can see his car down there. She leans against the frame and crosses her arms. She hasn’t felt this smitten for someone in a long time. What is it about him that made her like him this much this quickly? She’s told him more about herself in one night than she has ever told anyone. Sure, Penny knew the stuff she told him, but it took her a long time to pry that information out of her.

She sees him walk down the short set of stairs outside the building. She sighs and is more than a little disappointed that he didn’t want to go further than they already had. She respected it of course, but she’s a sexual being and it’s been a while. He gets to his door and sticks the key in the lock. Then he looks up. She smiles as he sees her standing in the window. He smiles brightly and waves up to her. She waves back and he quickly gets into his car. She watches him drive away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The change is that I have added Italian to the list of languages Dani is fluent in.


	3. Strong First Impressions

She moves away from the window and goes to the front door. She fixes the salt line that was disturbed when she entered. Then she grabs the clutch off the table. She pulls her personal phone from it, having felt it vibrate a few times during the date, but chose to ignore it and sets the clutch back down. They are probably from Penelope anyway. And of course, she’s correct.

_How’s it going?_

_Are you mad?_

_Please don’t be mad._

_I want to see your outfit. Send pics!_

_It’s been hours and I haven’t gotten a response. I’m assuming that’s good._

_Unless you are ignoring me, because you’re mad._

_Please call me or text me back._

She shakes her head and scoops her heels off the floor. She takes them into her bedroom and sits down on her bed. She puts them back on, despite the protest from her tired feet. She stands and opens her closet door. She positions herself in front of the full-length mirror that hangs on her closet door. She opens the camera and takes a picture with a serious expression her face. Then takes another with a peace sign and kissy face knowing her friend is going to demand something better. She takes a third with a normal smile. Then she kicks the heels off again and tosses her phone on the bed. She opens the second closet door and opens a drawer. She pulls out a gray loose-fitting tank and blue basketball shorts that are clearly too big for her. She closes the drawer and the door. She turns her back to the mirror and contorts to unzip the dress. She strips naked, tosses the dress and her underwear into the hamper inside the closet, and then puts on her definition of pjs. She goes into her bathroom and retrieves a hair tie and quickly unbraids her hair and throws it up into a ponytail. She washes the makeup off her face and then goes back to her bed. She scoops up the phone and sends the first picture.

Her phone rings and she smiles.

“Hey Penny.”

“Hey? Just hey? And what’s this picture? You look pissed.”

She chuckles and puts the phone on speaker. She sends the second one. “Better?”

“Ugh. Why can’t you take normal pictures?!” She sends the third. “That’s better. Oh my god. You look so hot. Is that really what you wore?”

“Yes. Why? You think it was too much for the surprise blind date?” She moves through her apartment heading for the kitchen.

Penelope hisses. “Are you like super upset?”

“No. But a warning would have been nice.”

“You wouldn’t have gone, and you know it.”

“Not if it were blind. If you had said, ‘Hey Dani, I’m setting you up with Reid. Meet him at this restaurant at 7.’ I would have gone.”

“And now I know for next time.”

“I can set up my own dates thank you very much.”

“Look. I was just trying to help. Who knows how long you would have waited to make a move!”

She sighs and opens her fridge. She reaches around the labeled jars of blood to retrieve a beer. “I need to go to the grocery store. Help me remember that.” She uses the bottle opener magnet to pop the top of it off. She tosses the cap on the counter. “You realize it hasn’t been that long for me right?”

“You said he wasn’t himself anymore. You said that maybe it was time to move on from whatever it was the two of you had once upon a time.”

She takes a few long swigs from her beer. “Please don’t throw my words in my face. Because I also told you I was in love with him, and that I have… had been for… years… and that’s not just something you get over overnight.”

“Ok. Ok. I’m sorry. Ok? I should have let you get over your ex more. I just thought you’d be happy to go out with someone you think is cute.”

She chuckles. “Well… I never said I was unhappy about this date. Just that I wish it weren’t a surprise.”

“Wait. So, did you have a good time or am I a bad friend for trying to help you get over your ex?”

“I had a great time.”

“Details, woman! You’re driving me crazy!”

“It’s late, Pen.”

“I stayed up and waited. At least give me something.”

“Hmm… well, we had a lavish dinner with lots of conversation. We walked around the fountain at Du Pont Circle, so my feet are killing me. I’m still a little drunk from having most of whatever bottle of wine Morgan picked out for us. And we have another date scheduled for Tuesday, unless you guys get a case.”

She can hear the excited clapping. “That’s fantastic! Did he ask for your number? Has he called you?”

“I just walked in the door like 20 minutes ago. If that. So, no he hasn’t called. Nor am I expecting him to. He is likely going straight to bed. He seemed tired after…” Her phone beeps and she looks down at the screen. “Hey, I’ll call you back.”

“Is he calling now?!”

“Yes. I’ll call you back.”

“I want details.”

She swipes on the green phone icon and choses the end the call with Penny. “I told you, you didn’t have to call.”

“I know. I just… I was getting ready for bed and I…”

“Couldn’t resist?”

“Stop thinking about you.”

She bites her lip and pulls her knees up to rest her chin on them while holding the phone out in front of her. “Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I was thinking about you too. Reliving our date for a Miss Penelope Garcia.”

He chuckles. “I’m sorry to have interrupted.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’s expecting me to call back once this conversation is over.”

“Even if it’s 1 am?”

“I’m a night owl and if I know her as I think I do, she’s staring at the phone, anxiously awaiting all the juicy details.”

“Juicy details? What kind of phone call do you think this is?”

She laughs at his joke and a wicked smile spreads across her face. “Well… I can think of a few ways this phone call could take a turn.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Meh. No one said I was perfect.”

“If first impressions are worth anything, I might have to disagree with that statement.”

She inhales slowly and then lets it out just as slow. “Are you calling me perfect, Dr. Reid?”

“Based on first impressions.”

“Then my job for the first date was a success.”

“Make a good first impression?”

“Yep.”

“Well, you made a great one and a strong one. You’ve actually activated my insomnia. Not that I can truly blame you for that. But when my mind fixates on something…”

“Your mind is fixated on me?”

“Is that… bad? Should I have kept that to myself?”

“No. I rather like that thought of me are keeping you awake.” When he doesn’t respond right away, she begins to worry she crossed that line she established at the fountain. “I’m sorry. That was a bit… forward. I might still be a little drunk and the beer in my hand isn’t exactly helping. Not that I’m an alcoholic or anything. I just…”

“It’s ok. You don’t need to apologize. I said this earlier, but I’m not used to comments like that being directed at me.”

“You’ve never had a woman be attracted to you physically?”

“I didn’t say that. They just weren’t… vocal about it.”

“Ah. I see now. Well, I think you should have learned by now, I’m not the kind of woman to keep my mouth shut. My filter is practically nonexistent. Especially when alcohol is involved.” She knows that’s not entirely true. She’s also a woman with a lot of secrets. Secrets she is prepared to never utter aloud to anyone.

“I’m becoming more and more aware of that fact the more I get to know you.” 

She hears him stifle a yawn. “You do remember that you have work tomorrow, right?”

“I was hoping you didn’t hear that. And if I’m recalling correctly, which I know that I am, you also have work tomorrow.”

“Yes, but Spencer, I don’t want to be the reason you fall asleep at your desk.”

“Let me be responsible for falling asleep at my desk, if it comes to that. I don’t get to have conversations like I’ve had with you tonight. No offense to the rest of the team, but I can tell they get tired of the constant fountain of information that pours out of my mouth. You’re the only one who doesn’t seem annoyed by me yet.”

She knows exactly how that feels. She has seen that dumbfounded, staring, and blinking look countless times. She wishes she had a friend like him growing up. She might not have as many issues now. “Well, I can’t speak for them, but I’m not sure if I will ever tire of you. Of talking to you.” She curses herself in her head. She wants to bang with phone against her forehead and knock all memory of the slip from her head. If she hadn’t corrected herself, he likely wouldn’t have noticed. 

He wants to tease her about it, like the others would, but it doesn’t feel right. The slip was sincere, as was the correction. If he teases her, he’ll likely push her away and that is opposite of what he wants. At the very least, he’s found a friend he can relate to. At most… he shakes his head to try to stop the thought from crossing his mind. Getting his mind set on something like that has never ended well. “Spencer?”

“I’m awake.”

“Lost in thought?”

“It happens a lot. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I’ve noticed that you do that a lot.”

“Do what?”

“Apologize.”

“S… I guess I do. I think it’s just with you though since I haven’t noticed it before.”

She hears him yawn again. “Ok. That’s it. Go to bed. It’s not like we can’t continue this later.”

“I’m fine. Really.”

“You are seconds from falling asleep. I can hear it in your voice.”

“Then talk to me until I do.”

“What am I supposed to have a one side conversation about? You want me to tell you a bedtime story?”

He laughs. “Or we can just continue talking and you let me decide when I want to go to sleep.”

She smirks, “So, are you thinking about staying up all night?”

“I could. I’ve done it many times before.”

“And your work doesn’t suffer?”

“We’re all used to long and restless nights by now.”

“Still though. What if you get a case tomorrow and have to jet off somewhere? You don’t want to be tired for that do you?”

He sighs. “Is it bad that I’m ok with being irresponsible right now?”

“Bad? No. But if we keep talking at the rate we’ve talked all night, we’re going to run out of things to talk about.”

“Hmm. Well, I wouldn’t want that. Not that that’s at all possible given the sheer volume of things I’ve read, but I concede your point.”

“And we don’t want to get in trouble with a certain co-worker of yours.”

He laughs. “We definitely wouldn’t want that.”

“So, if it’s up to me to be the responsible one, I’m going to say good night again.”

“If you insist. Good night. I look forward to Tuesday.”

“I’ll pick you up whenever you’re free. Just send me your address so that I can.”

“You’re going to pick me up?”

“I did say that I would drive, didn’t I?”

“Technically, you said maybe.”

“Well, now it’s a definite.”

“Then I’ll call you Tuesday when I’m ready for you.”

“It’s a date.”

“Indeed, it is.”

“Good night, Spencer.”

“Good night, Danielle.”

She hangs up before either of them can say anything more. Otherwise, she is certain they’d be on the phone all night. She saves his number, remembering she never did that in the car. Not that she needed to as she already has it committed to memory just by reading it. She calls Penelope back before her friend gets too impatient.

“You were on the phone with him a while.”

“It would have been longer if I hadn’t forced the issue.”

“Why’d you stop it?”

“He was yawning and thus tired. So am I for that matter.”

“I’m not satisfied with the amount of details I’m getting about your date.”

“I know. Let’s do lunch tomorrow in your office and I’ll give you the play by play.”

“I don’t need to know every little thing you talked about. Just the bullet points.”

“Uh… work. How we got into it. Education. Languages. I’m going to teach him Japanese. We touched a little on family, but didn’t get into anything too serious. Then lots of random trivia.”

“Wow. That’s seems like a lot.”

“There were hardly any quiet moments. But the ones that were there were… nice. I didn’t mind them in the slightest. It was more of him trying to figure out what to talk about. I get the impression someone may have told him not to rattle off like he does.”

“He gets that advice a lot.”

“Well, he doesn’t need to do that with me. I could listen to him rattle off random info all day long.”

“And you could probably match him.”

“I don’t speak as fast as he does and I haven’t read near as much as he has, but that is still a fair statement.”

“Ok. That’ll hold me over until lunch tomorrow. I should let you get some sleep.”

“I appreciate it. See you tomorrow.”

“Good night!”

“And Penny...?”

“Yes?”

“I may not sound grateful, but…”

“No need to thank me. I get it.”

“Thanks, Pen. Good night.”

“Night!”

She hangs up the phone and sighs. She squeezes her knees before unfolding herself. She downs the rest of her beer and gets up off the couch. She tosses the bottle in the trash. She stops by the front door to double check the locks and alarm. She swipes her clutch off the table by the door on her way to her bedroom. She plugs up both of her phones, sets her alarm clock, and sets the purse on the nightstand to finish getting everything out of it in the morning. She goes back through the apartment and shuts off all the lights before climbing under her covers. She flops around a few times, finally settling onto her stomach, with one leg straight, the other bent at a 90 degree angle, her face buried in the pillow which she is hugging, the covers nearly completely cover her head. She replays the night of conversation in her head as she drifts to sleep.

***

No matter what time he goes to sleep, he always wakes up at the same time. He only sets an alarm as a precaution and most mornings he turns it off before it sounds. And this morning is no different. Despite going to bed at 3:00 am, his body wakes him up at 6:00 am, give or take a few seconds. He is wide awake, but tired. Yet he couldn’t go back to sleep even if he wanted to. He rolls onto his side to turn his alarm off. He checks his phone to see if he has messages. He doesn’t. Not that he expected to. He would have been woken up by a phone call if he were needed before normal office hours. Part of him hoped he might have something from her, but it is early still. The sun isn’t even up yet. Still, after dreaming about her, it might have been a nice thing to wake up to.

He pulls the covers back and swings his legs over the edge of the bed. As soon as he’s vertical, he turns to make the bed. Smoothing the old blue and yellow quilt and folding down the top edge before placing his pillow on top of it. His morning routine is the same as it always is. Make the bed. Take a shower. Get dressed. Gather his belongings. Walk to his usual coffee shop. Walk to the train. Ride the train. Take the shuttle. Go to work. And again this morning is no different. After he dresses for the day, he finds himself checking his phone. Still nothing. He sighs and goes around his apartment gathering books for his daily reading. All the while debating if he should send her a message first. Then again, he knows Derek is already going to frown upon him calling her right after the date anyway. He grumbles and resists the urge. He grabs his messenger bag and loads the stack he has created inside. While also checking that his treasured possessions are still safely inside.

He sticks his phone in his pocket, retrieves his gun and credentials. He doesn’t wear it on the train. He knows it makes people uncomfortable to see it, and it’s not exactly the most comfortable thing to have on your waist while sitting on a train for a long time. He places his wallet in his pocket along with his badge. He snags his keys from their place by the door and heads out. It’s a short walk to the coffee shop and then a short walk from there to the train station. Nothing out of the ordinary happens while in route.

He stands on the platform, to-go coffee and book in hand. He drums his fingers on the cover, still debating if he should tell her good morning. The train speeds into the station and he adjusts his bag. At this hour, he is used to a fairly empty train. Most people are coming into DC at this time, not leaving it. So, his ride to work is uneventful. He drinks his coffee and reads his book as he does every morning. He likes that more often than not the trains run on time. They hardly ever mess with his routine. Ride the first train 8 stops. Ride the next 2 stops. Take the shuttle. And he should arrive by 8:45, which is plenty of time to get a new cup of coffee and be at his desk by 9. And unless they have a big case, his mornings are always the same. He expects today to be no different.

But it is. His thoughts drift to the date. Hazel eyes under long dark lashes. The wisps of brown hair that refused to be tamed not matter how many times she pushed them behind her ear. The feel of her hand in his. The mental replay of the conversation they had in attempt to cement the words in his mind since verbal communication is harder to remember perfectly unless he put forth an effort. He knows Derek is going to ask him how the date went. And he has a positive answer prepared. But if he were asked what about her had impacted him so strongly, he’s not sure he can pinpoint it. He puts his book away once he finishes it and watches the trees go past.

She’s beautiful. No one could argue that. He’s fairly certain her looks get her quite a bit of male attention, but that’s not what’s making him gravitate towards her. She got him to put his own reservations aside, even forgetting them entirely just to spend more time with her. She is smart and witty. In fact, he found both of those qualities disarming. Looking at her, especially in the dress she was wearing, you could see that she is physically fit. Her knowledge of computers is extensive. And all of those things paint a very different mental image of what kind of person she is. Maybe it’s the apparent contradictions that make her stick in his mind? But are they contradictions or more of a chameleon nature? Able to blend and adapt to every situation? But that implies she was hiding from him and that’s not accurate. She seemed so open during their conversations. And patient.

He rubs the palm of his hand. He’s never felt this way so quickly about someone. This feeling is more than mere attraction. He’s felt that, experienced it, acted upon it to a certain extent. Attraction is there. He thinks she’s beautiful. He’s established that. She cleans up extremely well, but he prefers the other look she had. Her work attire. Though he gets the impression that she could care less about what the FBI might want her to wear in the office so that could just be her everyday look. Then again SWAT is strict, and she might wear something quite different when she’s on that clock. He also finds it a little odd that he is even fixated on her clothing. He shakes his head to bring it back to the more important mental dissection. The one person he has loved in a romantic way took time to build. He’s not saying he loves her after one date, but he could definitely see himself letting it get serious and possibly long term. But again, it’s only been one date and this makes day three that he’s even known her, and he’s already thinking about the long term.

He returns his attention out the window. He sees someone running along the side of the road. Judging by the attire and the ponytail that swings on her head, this person is a woman. She has a black backpack on. She’s definitely not jogging. She is keeping a steady pace, but her legs move quickly. The shuttle gains on her though since the human body is not equip to outrun a vehicle. As it passes, his head snaps around as he recognizes the side of her face. Sweat glistens on her face, but her breathing seems even. He continues to watch her as the shuttle approaches its destination until he can no longer see her. 

He looks at his watch once he gets out and stands on the crib outside the building. Traffic was kind today. “8:25.” He tosses his empty cup in a nearby trash can and waits. He estimates, based on the speed of the shuttle, how far down the road she was when he spotted her. 2 miles? Maybe 2 and a half? He suddenly starts to hope she doesn’t get in trouble for being late. But he doesn’t have to worry for long. He sees her running across the parking lot and a smirk spreads across her face as she sees him standing there. She slows to a stop a few feet from him, places her hands on her hips, and walks towards him. She unloops the earbuds and lets the band settle on the back of her neck. He looks at his watch. “8:40.”

She looks at her own watch. “Huh. So, it is.” Now that she has stopped running, her breathing is heavier. She wipes the sweat from her brow with her hand and wipes it on her thigh. His eyes trail up and down her body. Black running shoes, knee length teal leggings with mesh sections that her skin shows through, bare toned stomach, black sports bra, armband with a phone in it, wireless headphones that rest on her neck, black backpack on her back. Her smirking lips. Her exposed glistening skin. Her shining hazel eyes, that are more blue today, as they look right at him. He licks his lips and looks away. Feeling guilty for examining her that way. 

She chuckles. “Do you mind?” He looks up and she is holding out her back pack, straps towards him. He reaches out and takes it from her. She proceeds to unzip a pocket. She retrieves a sweating metal bottle and her plastic FBI badge. She clips the badges to her waistband and takes a long swig from the bottle before securing the lid and returning it to the bag. She zips it and takes it from him. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

She looks at her watch again and frowns. “I was a little slow today.”

“What?”

“I usually make better time than that.”

“What was your time?”

“55 minutes. Give or take some seconds. I was two minutes slow.”

“Two minutes?” She watches the wheels turn.

“Figuring up my speed?” He smiles bashfully and nods. “Missing a few variables, aren’t you?”

“Not really. I spotted you on the road. And estimated that you were 2.5 miles away when I saw you, and then simply timed you.”

“I’d still say you’re missing a variable.”

“I have Ph.D. in mathematics and you’re telling me I’m missing a variable?”

“Yes. I am.”

“Alright then. Tell me. What am I missing?”

“You don’t know exactly how far I travelled since you saw me. And you don’t know what time it was either. So, any number you come up with is purely an estimation.”

He sees Penelope hurrying through the parking lot behind her. “True, but I could still give you the approximation, which is still impressive.”

“For you or me?”

“You. The math is too simple to be considered impressive for me.”

She hears her name being called from behind her. She smirks. “Unless you want to jointly regale her about our date last night, then I suggest you head inside.”

“Good idea.” He turns to walk towards the doors. He stops and turns back. “And you were going roughly 11.5385 miles per hour.”

She smirks. “That’s a slightly above average.” His brow knits together and she waves him off. “Have a good day, Dr. Reid.” He shakes his head and goes inside. 

She turns around just as Penny gets onto the crib.

“What were you two saying?”

“We were discussing my speed.”

“Speed?”

“Running speed?”

“God, you’re so weird.” The two women start walking in together. “Wait. It’s Monday. You never run on Mondays.”

She laughs. “I had a lot of food last night and woke up feeling like shit. So, I felt the need to run it off.”

“Again. You’re so weird.” They scan their badges and Dani heads away from the elevators. “Where are you going?”

“I need to shower. Also, my office is this way.”

“Oh right. Still on for lunch?”

“As if I could escape it.” They both laugh and they wave goodbye.

***

When the elevator opens, Derek is standing in the hallway. Clearly waiting for him. “Good morning, Pretty Boy.”

“Couldn’t wait?”

“Hey. I expected to get a phone call from you afterwards. Unless things went better than expected and you ended up taking her home. Did you?”

“What?”

“Take her home.”

“Technically, yes.” He pulls open the glass door to the bull pen and Derek follows.

“What do you mean technically?”

“I drove her to her apartment. So, technically, I took her home.”

Derek shakes his head. “With as much as the two of you spent last night, I was hoping to get a little more than that.”

“To be fair, that was her idea.” He sets his bag down on his desk and pulls out his chair. 

“Come on, kid. Is that all I’m going to get?”

He smirks and then lets it fall away when he looks at his friend. “You’re lucky you’re getting that much. I don’t like surprises.”

“Come on. I didn’t mean to make you mad. I thought you’d have fun. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have agreed to do it. Did you have fun?”

He can’t help himself now. He smirks and sits down in his chair. “That’s classified.”

Derek smiles. “I going to take that as a yes. You get her phone number?”

“I might have.”

“Have you called her yet?”

“Yes, but we already had a second date scheduled before then, so I figured your policy didn’t apply.”

“A second date, huh?”

“Tomorrow, as long as we don’t get a case.”

Derek claps him on the back. “My man! I’m proud of you, kid. She’s a catch.”

“She’s not like anyone I’ve ever met.”

“And that’s good, right?”

“Yes, that’s good.”

“Well, hey. Let me know how things progress. And if you need any advice, you know where to find me.”

He smiles. Derek might want more details, but as a private man himself, Spencer knows he’s not going pry unless it is offered. Or if it’s extremely important. He could definitely use some advice, but he’s not sure Derek is the right person to ask.

“How are things with Savannah?”

“Great. Why do you ask?”

“You two… struggled in the beginning, right?”

Derek leans on his desk and folds his arms. “Why do you ask?”

“We’re… having the opposite problem.”

“You think you’re getting along too well?”

“Not that exactly. More like we’re getting along too quickly. When that has happened in the past, it never progressed very far.”

“Lila.”

“Right.”

“So, you’re looking for something more. Like what you had with… Like what Savannah and I have?”

Spencer looks down at his desk. “Yes. And I appreciate the redirection.”

“And you’re worried it will stay in that casual zone if you let it progress the way it is?”

“Right again.”

“Hmm.” He looks towards JJ’s vacant desk. “And you don’t want to bother JJ at home with this?”

Spencer looks up at him. “Derek. You’re my friend too. And you obviously had your reasons for setting this up. You also seem to know her. I noticed that Saturday.”

“I don’t know her near as well as Garcia, but yeah I know her. Got some questions?”

“Is she… do you know if she…” He sighs and scratches the back of his head. “I’m not sure how to phrase this question without sounding…”

“You’re wondering if she’s promiscuous?”

“Uh… yes.”

“From what I know about SA Winchester, she is, but she also has a ‘don’t shit where you eat’ policy. So, if you feel that it’s progressing in that direction, she probably sees more than just a physical relationship with you. Again, Garcia is more the authority here, but that’s the read I get. I will say this. If she ever offers you her keys, then she means serious business.”

“Why’s that?”

“Has she mentioned her car?”

“She said she’s protective of it.”

He laughs. “I’ve known her for years and have never seen it. Because she keeps it covered. No matter what the weather is like. She gets here early, parks it the same spot every day, and covers it up. She parks it in that spot so it is less likely to get hit.”

“I think I’ve seen a covered car in the lot before. She parks it really far from the building.”

“She doesn’t get an assigned spot like we do. And she’s not willing to gamble with someone hitting that car. She has also said that car only has one driver.”

“So, if she offers me the keys to her car, that’s a huge deal.”

He nods. “Massive. It means she trusts you with something she doesn’t even trust her brothers with.”

“OK, but how does that help me now?”

He smiles. “Just play it by ear. She’s an agent, an agent who wants to be on our team. So, she has a pretty good idea how difficult a relationship with us would be. She might be feeling the same way you are. That it’s moving too fast. But in our line of work, we take strides in relationships where we can get them. She gets it more than anyone outside this life. Maybe she’s letting you see more of her this fast, because she knows time with you will be limited. And maybe you do too. My advice is to just let it happen. If you aren’t comfortable with it, say something. She’s not a mind reader and I’m sure she’ll back off if you ask her to.”

“I’m not putting this on her. I don’t know her well enough to say if she’s the issue here. I guess I’m just surprised at myself. I… held her hand last night.”

Derek’s eyes go wide for a second and he smiles brightly. “I think that’s great. You’re clearly comfortable with her. Why fight a good thing?”

“You think she’s good for me?”

He smiles and pushes off the desk. “I think you’re good for her.” Before Spencer can ask him to explain, he walks off towards his office. He sighs and grabs his coffee cup off his desk. He gets up and goes to fill it. Then he’ll attempt to get some work done.


	4. Diners, Drivings, and Pies

He stands at his closet, staring at the contents. What does someone wear to a diner date? Were his work clothes ok or did he need to change? He looks down at himself. Rolling up his sleeves would make it look more casual. He does that. He opts not to wear a jacket. Again an attempt to look more casual. It’s a 24-hour diner not a fancy restaurant. He loosens his tie. It’s still a date through, right? He should still look relatively nice. And he might be way off the mark here. Maybe he should just dress normally. His nice shoes might look out of place in a diner though. He pulls them off and fishes an old pair of black converse from inside his closet. The worn shoes would definitely make his dress pants look more casual.

He grumbles and runs his hand through his hair. He feels ridiculous being so concerned with what to wear. He takes his vest off and decides that’s good enough. He pads into the living room to put his shoes on. He nibbles his lip wondering yet again why he is so nervous about this. It’s the second date. At a diner. This whole thing was arranged to have less pressure. So, why did it feel like he was under more pressure?

***

She paces her apartment. The sun has set. He should have called by now. Though she knows he usually takes the train and that would put him as getting to his apartment later than her, but even accounting for that it’s much later than she expected. Not that she minded a late date. She’s a night owl anyway. But he seemed like the punctual sort, so he should have called by now. She rolls her eyes. He also doesn’t seem like the kind to just stand her up. He’d call either way.

She shoves her phone in her pocket and goes to her office. She begins gathering books from the shelves. He mentioned he wanted to learn Japanese. What better way to teach him than the way she learned? She puts the small stack on her coffee table and goes into the kitchen. She fishes a plastic grocery bag out from under the sink and loads the books in it. She goes to her desk and writes two post-it notes. She puts one in the front of the first book and sticks the other in the back of the last back. She smirks. She wonders if he’s the type that likes tests.

Her phone rings and she nearly jumps out of her skin. She yanks it out of her pocket and smiles. “I was starting to think you were going to bail on me.”

“I would have called if that were the case.”

“You ready?”

“Yep.”

“What’s your address?” He tells her and she nods. “Got it. Be there shortly.”

“I’ll be waiting outside.”

“Alright, see you soon.”

She hangs up the phone and shoves it in her pocket. She double checks that she has everything she needs. Wallet, cells, keys. She snags the bag off the table and heads out of her apartment. Setting the alarm and locking the door. She rides the elevator down to the second level of the parking garage. It’s one of the many reasons she picked this place and practically refused to find somewhere closer to work. Her car would always be protected from the elements, save for flooding but she’d move it to higher ground before it got stuck down here. And her landlord’s policy on parking spaces made it easy to ensure that no one ever parked near it unless they were invited. She is renting 4 parking spots in a corner of the garage. Two for her car, two for guests. She supposed she should feel guilty for renting so many spots when she only had one car, but like he brother, she is very protective of it.

The doors open to the garage and she goes right to her car. “Hello gorgeous.” She pulls the cover off and the blue and black paint shines on the classic 2-door muscle car. A 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS. She folds the cover and runs her hand up the hood and along the frame as she walks towards the driver’s side door. She sticks her key in the lock and opens the door. She sticks the cover and the bag of books into the floor behind the driver’s seat. The black vinyl bench seat looks brand new and the smell inside matches. The dash and steering wheel are all original except for the updated radio and phone cradle right next to it. Dean would complain and never allow something like that inside his Baby, but she is more into technology and needs the hands-free system. She slides into the seat and strokes the steering wheel. She closes the door and buckles her seat belt. She puts the key in the ignition and turns. The car purrs to life and rumbles happily as it idles. She revs the engine and its growls echo through the parking garage like a tiger in a cave.

Then she’s off. Flying out of the parking garage and down the street. She knows this city and the surrounding area like the back of her hand. She doesn’t need a map to find his place. She cues up a track on her phone, Remedy by Seether, and cranks up the volume. She drums on the steering wheel to the music. Her hand squeezes and caresses the wheel while she drives and turns. It is one of the things she and Dean always bond over. Their love of cars and the almost unhealthy adoration of theirs. At the first red light, she reaches down to unroll the window. Then reaches over and unrolls the passenger window.

It takes less than a handful of minutes to get to his place. She can see him standing on the sidewalk. She turns the music off and pulls to a stop in front of him. She reaches over and pushes the passenger door open. He bends down to look into the car. She smiles. “This is not the car I imagined you driving.”

“Why is that? I did tell you I come from a family of mechanics. Are you getting in?”

“Oh. Yeah. Sorry.” He slides into the car and closes the door. 

She waits and watches him put on his seat belt. She smiles at him and he smiles back. She starts to drive. She knows that she’s a great driver, but she knows that he is far more cautious than she is. Traffic laws are merely suggestions so they might not be her priority, but she at least stays close to the speed limit for his sake. She glances over at him. His hair is blowing wildly and she chuckles. “You can roll that up if you want.”

“Thanks.” He reaches down and rolls up the window. “Any particular reason you had it down?”

She shrugs. “Nope. Just felt like feeling the wind on my face.” She reaches down and rolls up her own window. Then reaches to the dash to turn the AC on. While over there, she selects a song on her phone and turns the radio up just a little. Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls starts playing. She looks over at him after the first verse.

“So, you’re getting a little taste of what I like. Thoughts?”

“I feel like I’ve heard it before.”

“It was popular in ’98.”

“Oh. Well, that must be it then.” Silence falls. It’s not an awkward silence. Just quiet, like when they were walking around the fountain. It doesn’t take long to get to the diner. She pulls into the near empty parking lot and parks near the door. “This place is dead.”

“Would you prefer for it to be full of drunk people?”

“No. Dead is good.”

“It’s DC’s best kept secret. Which is saying something.” She smiles and opens the door. “Come on.” She gets out of the car. He gets out and hurries ahead of her to open the door. She waves at the waitress behind the counter. “Hey Sally!” He figures she must come here a lot if she knows the waitress by name. He just follows along beside her as she ignores the ‘please wait to be seated’ sign.

“Dani! Welcome back, sweetheart. Who’s your friend?” 

She motions to him. “Spencer. Sally. Sally. Spencer. And he’s not my friend, he’s my date.”

His cheeks flush. It would take him ages to build the confidence to be able to talk to people the way she did. 

“Well, la dee. Your usual place is open, hun. Need a menu for your date?”

She looks at him. “Do you?”

“Huh?”

“Need a menu?”

“Oh, sure.” She slides into a booth at the back facing the door. She sticks her feet up in the seat across from her as he slides in. Sally brings a menu and sets in front of Spencer.

“What can I get you drink?”

“Coffee for both of us.” She smiles at him and he smiles back before turning his attention to the menu. The waitress comes back with the coffee and a thing of cream. Spencer reaches over and grabs the sugar container and starts counting out the packets he needs. “Who’s cooking tonight?”

“George. But you already knew that.”

“Oooh, so there’s fresh pie tonight?”

“And he’s making your favorite.”

“Oh, bless that man. It’s like he knew I was coming. You know what I want then.”

The waitress smiles at Spencer. “Need a minute, sweetie?”

“He’ll have the same for now. Just leave the menu.”

Sally nods and walks away. He looks up at her. “What did you just order me?”

“Pie.”

“Yeah. But what kind?”

“It’s blueberry. It’s fantastic here. And if you don’t like it, I’ll just have to finish it for you.”

“So, that’s your favorite pie then?”

“No, just here.”

“You have favorites in different places?”

She shrugs. “That doesn’t seem unusual to me.” He rips open the sugar packets and pours them into his coffee. “So, what’s our topic of conversation tonight?”

“I don’t know.”

She chuckles. “Well, we did cover a lot of ground the first time.”

“Yeah, we did.”

“Work, education, languages. Which reminds me. I brought you your first lesson in Japanese. It’s in my car.”

“My first lesson?”

“Yep. I did say I was going to teach you right?”

“Yes, but I didn’t expect that to be now.”

“Oh. Well. They’re books, so there’s no rush. It’s not like they’re going to expire or anything. They’re from my personal library. And are the same books I was taught Japanese from. They aren’t valuable per se, but they have a lot of sentimental value. Not that I think you’d abuse a book, but I’d appreciate it if you were careful with them.”

“You’re right. I am always careful with books, but I’ll take extra care with them.”

“Thanks.”

“Is it safe to say that you got them from Bobby?”

She nods and sips her coffee. “It’s safe to assume that since I’ve already told you that he’s the one who taught me.”

“Right.” He looks down at his coffee cup. Sally brings the pies and Spencer hands her the menu. Not a good sign in Dani’s book since he has yet to order anything. Still, the warm pie with melting ice cream on top distracts her from asking. She unwraps her silverware and uses the spoon to shovel a mouthful of pie and ice cream into her mouth. She hums and closes her eyes. “Good?”

She mumbles through her full mouth. “You have no idea.” She swallows and sips her coffee. “But you’ll never know unless you try it.”

He unwraps his own silverware. He tucks the napkin in his collar after seeing how messy her slice is. She shovels another huge bite in her mouth and chews while she waits for him. He chuckles. “I’m more a cake person.”

She shakes her head and smirks. “As I said last time, liking cake doesn’t preclude you from liking pie as well.” She takes another bite and motions with her spoon for him to get on with it. He picks up his spoon and checks it for cleanliness. Not seeing any spots, he scoops up a little bit of the filling. “Really? If that’s how you eat pie, it’s no wonder you prefer cake. Not eating the crust with the filling is like not eating the cake with the icing.”

He laughs. “You’re a pie snob.”

She shrugs. “Another family trait. Now do it properly, or I’ll take that spoon and feed you myself.” He smirks. He is very tempted to see if she’ll do it, but seeing the mischievous yet serious look on her face tells him that, yes, yes she will. He scoops up a little of the crust, disarming the bomb across the table from him, and eats the bite. “Well?”

“It’s good, but I still prefer cake.”

She shakes her head. “Can’t win them all I suppose.” She takes another big bite of her pie. Sally comes up and fills their cups with coffee. She smiles at them both and walks away. Spencer reaches over to grab sugar packets. “Then again. Maybe you just haven’t found the right pie.”

“That sounds vaguely ominous.”

“Not ominous, just that there’s going to be a variety of pies in your future.” He tears the packets and pours them into his cup. “All baked by yours truly, of course.”

“You bake pies?”

“Among other things. Penny thinks my pies are my specialty. I think she took one to work once.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Did you let your prejudice get in the way?”

He chuckles and shakes his head. “I would hardly call it a prejudice.”

She uses air quotes with the spoon in one hand. “I’m more of a cake person.”

“Preference and prejudice aren’t the same thing.”

She leans forward on the table. “You’re the profiler. I suppose you’d know.”

“It’s more the definition of the words than anything else.”

“So, you arguing semantics?”

“By definition, a prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Preference is a greater liking for one alternative over another.”

She clears her plate and pushes it aside. “And you’re saying that having had this taste of pie that you have developed a preference for cake?”

“Yes.”

“Have you tried every type of pie?”

“Well, no.”

“And have you tried every type of cake?”

“I’ve had a large variety, but it’s nearly impossible to know if I’ve had them all. That’s like saying I like every cup of coffee I’ve ever had. There are variables. The quality of ingredients. The skill of the baker.”

She smirks. “So, based on your lack of experience with pies, you favor cakes.”

“It’s still a preference.”

“Not based on the definition you just provided.” He huffs and looks down at the melting white ice cream swirling with the purple of the pie filling on his plate. She has him and they both know it. He hears her laugh and he looks up at her. “You’re cute when you’re frustrated.”

He grins. “At least you just admitted I’m cute again.”

“That I did.” She motions with her spoon to his plate. “You gunna eat that?”

He pushes it across the table to her. “Knock yourself out.” She takes a large spoonful into her mouth. “You know you eat that like someone is going to steal it from you.”

She laughs. “When you have two brothers, who are both bigger than you, and one is even more pie obsessed than I am, you learn to eat quickly.”

“He’d steal it from you?”

She smiles. “Without a second thought.”

“I sometimes wish I knew what it was like to grow up with siblings.”

“But then you hear horror stories and decide being an only child was probably for the best.”

“Well… it was pretty lonely at times.”

“Having siblings doesn’t change that much. Especially being the only girl.”

“But I bet if you needed them, they’d come running.”

She smiles and pats the table between them. A surrogate touch to actually touching him that makes his hand itch. “You have that too. I hope you can see that. Anyone of them would come to your aid if you needed them. They love you. I’ve only worked one case with you, and I only really know Morgan and Penny, but even I can see that.”

He nods. “True, but family has that unconditional connection. I have that with my mother and I’ve seen it in the field.”

She takes a sip of her coffee and sits back in her seat. “Family don’t end with blood.”

He turns the mug a few times on the table, allowing her words to sink in. She looks out the window, thoughts of Bobby flood her mind. Hearing him yell that at Dean when her brothers didn’t include either of them in the plan to save Dean’s soul and then having to watch him get torn apart by a hellhound when they failed. Getting the call that Sam had set Lucifer free and they needed her help again. Driving to meet them as fast as she could, bringing every lore book she could find on angels, and teaching herself Enochian while behind the wheel. She slides her hand under the table and lifts her shirt to trace the scar on her stomach. The reminder that while she may have been fast enough to save Dean, she wasn’t fast enough to stop the demon inside her dad from slicing her open before stabbing himself, killing the demon, but paralyzing himself. The months she spent by his side, refusing to leave so that she could care for him all while trying to help her brothers stop the apocalypse.

“Where is your mind right now?”

“Huh?” She looks over at him, her hand still touching her scar.

“After you said ‘family don’t end with blood,’ you drifted off.”

She pulls her shirt down and grabs her coffee cup. “Oh. It’s nothing. Just a memory that led down a rabbit hole.”

“Did your dad say that? Bobby?”

She nods. “It takes people a while to get that I consider him my dad and not my father. It’s also a sore spot with my brothers. Even though they also saw him as a dad, they still consider our father their dad too.” She sighs. “It’s complicated.”

“We don’t have to talk about this if it bothers you.”

She smiles and leans forward to rest her elbows and forearms on the table. “You know, I’m not sure why exactly, but you seem to be really good at getting the hard stuff out of me. I think I’ve spoken about my family more in the past few days than I’ve spoken about them in the years it took Penny to pry it out of me.”

“Maybe it’s because I’m a profiler and she’s not?”

She shakes her head. “No. It’s not that, or Morgan would be able to do the same thing and he’s known me for years as well.”

He shrugs. “It could be any number of things. The level of trust we’ve built. The way our minds work in similar ways.”

She sips her coffee and nods. “This is moving along fairly quickly. True. We do seem to get along like a house on fire. Though I seem to have that effect on people.”

“What?”

“It’s an idiom.”

“I know that. I’m talking about the effect you have on people.”

“Oh. Well, I’ve been described as charismatic. My friendship with Penny progressed pretty quick as well. Although, it took longer for me to open up to her than it has with you. And maybe that’s because I see things about you that I wish I had.”

“Like what?”

“Fishing for a compliment, Dr. Reid?”

He chuckles. “No. I’m just having a hard time picturing you being envious of something regarding me.”

“I don’t want to deep dive into this subject yet. It’s… painful and I don’t like thinking about it, but I admire how intelligent you are and that you aren’t afraid to let that knowledge free. Because despite what most people might think, I’m smarter than I look.”

“You’ve said a lot of very intelligent things in front of other people.”

“About technology. That’s part of my profession. I have to be comfortable talking about that. But there’s more hiding up here than anyone will ever know.”

He nods. “You have an eidetic memory. I got the sense that it might be tied to some bad memories.”

She nods and fiddles with mug. “This is getting dangerously close to deep diving.”

“Sorry. I just…” He looks down at his own mug. It makes him feel a little better that she also thinks this is moving at an alarming rate. Yet if she has a high trust level in him this quickly, then maybe he should let his guard down a little more. Take Derek’s advice and just let it progress naturally, especially if fighting the natural chemistry they have is a lot harder than just being honest and giving in to it. “I want to know everything about you. That’s part occupational hazard and my genuine desire to know you. I’ve got some skeletons in my own closet too. I think everyone does.”

“So, maybe we find a way to move past the topic. Save it for later.” 

“Like a bookmark?”

She smiles. “Exactly like a bookmark. It’s a promise to come back to it. Which means no hard feelings in ending that particular line of conversation since a promise has been made to talk about it later. When we’re more comfortable.”

“I like that.”

“So, if shit ever gets too real and we need to step back from the topic, we just say ‘bookmark’ and the subject is changed.”

“Maybe in Japanese?”

She laughs. “Bukkumāku.”

He laughs. “Guess that’s an import?”

“You’ll see when you get to katakana.”

“Ka-ta-ka-na?”

“One of the written forms of Japanese. We’ll get to that another time.”

“So, repeat what you said.”

“Bukkumāku.”

“Boo-koo-mah-koo?”

“That’s pretty good for your first try. Stress the mah.”

“Boo-koo-MAH-koo?” 

“And faster.”

“Bukkumāku.”

“Yatta!”

“What’s that?”

She chuckles. “Hooray.”

“One day I won’t have to ask.”

“That’s the whole point of teaching it to you.”

Sally comes to refill their cups. “Can I get you anything else?”

“BLT.”

“Sure thing, sweetie.” 

He starts counting out sugar packets. “So, are you saying that we’ve got an open book policy in regards to communication?”

She sips her coffee. “I suppose I am.”

It’s been years since he’s been this exposed. His heart races at the thought of being that open with her. No subject off limits until it is brought up and he bookmarks it. But he really does want to know everything about her. To figure out why he’s so drawn to her. And maybe being that open with her would be good for him. He’d have someone to talk to about anything if he did. He inhales deeply and nods. “Then it’s only fair that I also adopt that policy.”

“So, where do we start?”

He shrugs. “Don’t know.”

“I’m sure you’ve got questions.”

“I do actually.”

“Then ask.”

“Well, something has been bothering me.”

“Oh?”

“Based on your work on the case this weekend and the things I have learned over the past couple of days, I get the distinct feeling that you are more than just a Tech Analyst or a Tactical Officer. I mean, I already know you are since you are a Special Agent…”

“Is there a question in there?”

“Why do you hide your intelligence? Obviously, you are, but it’s almost like you’re ashamed of being smart. And you’ve already expressed that you are envious of my ability to let my intellect out.”

She nibbles on her lip. Was she ready to talk about that? To dig into some deeply rooted issues? “Bukkumāku.” He’s a little surprised to have hit a nerve so quickly. He tries to stop the profiler in him from analyzing the response. That’s easier said than done, of course. When you’ve spent almost every moment of your adult life doing something, you can’t just turn it off. Almost as if she can hear the wheels turning in his mind, she says, “It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you about that. It’s just…”

“You don’t have to defend yourself. That’s how our system works.”

“It’s just that…”

“Dani.” He places his palm on the table. “You don’t have to explain. I’ve just picked up on some clues and was curious. You don’t have to…”

She places her hand over his. “Spencer, let me finish. Normally, we wouldn’t explain the bookmark. But I can tell you’ve picked up on a running theme here and I want to… not explain… I just… I just know that this running theme is heavily tied to my past and if I don’t elaborate just a little bit, then you’re going to keep running into bookmarks and I have a feeling that will get frustrating.”

“It’s your call.”

She turns his hand over and starts tracing the lines of his palm with her other hand. He watches this movement, and relishes the contact, while he waits for her to continue. In that time Sally drops off his food and quickly walks away without a word. This is getting dangerously close to things she isn’t comfortable talking with him about. She isn’t even comfortable talking to Penelope about some of this stuff. She prefers to leave her past behind her. But something in her wants to tell him. “It’s related to my family dynamic.”

He nods. “We all learn in this line of work that family has the most power to hurt or impact our lives. I… I have things in my family that I don’t like to talk about either.”

“Then you’ll have to let me know when we get to that.” She takes a deep breath and he waits for her to continue. “My father sent me to live with Bobby, who was more of an uncle to us than anything else at the time, when I was 14. My older brother blamed me for leaving and not my father. And I honestly think he’s still sore about it. Not to say he doesn’t love and wouldn’t got to bat from me if I needed it. There’s just things that have happened because of my father’s decision to abandon me that sometimes get brought up.”

“But that wasn’t your fault. I know I don’t know all the details, but how can he still be upset about something that wasn’t your fault?” Her silence is deafening. “Sorry.”

She clears her throat. “It’s not you. You’re just verbally expressing something I’ve thought for nearly 20 years.”

“I know you didn’t ask, but since you’ve shared something a little painful, it’s only fair that I do the same. You know how I mentioned being estranged from my father?” She nods. “He left us when I was 10.”

She smiles a little. “Guess we both have daddy issues. What’s that say about us?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

She chuckles. “It was rhetorical.” Her eyes trail up his arm on the way to his face. His eyes are kind. Sympathetic. She smiles. “Why is it so damn easy to talk to you?”

“The judgement free, open book policy we’ve established?”

She smirks. “Well, I’m not sure it’s 100% judgement free. I seem to recall the term ‘pie snob’ being thrown around.”

He is happy to see that she has bounced back from the darker thoughts that were trying to overwhelm her and though he wants to know more about what those thoughts were, he will not press the matter since she has essentially agreed to talk about it at a later date. “I believe the question is yours.”

She has issued the bookmark more than he has at this point. Part of her really wants to know if he’d ever call it. Does he have nothing to hide or is he that put together? She doesn’t want to upset him, but she’s curious about what would drive him to say it. “Um… what’s your mother’s name?”

“Diana. What’s your father’s name?’

She nibbles on her lip. “My parents’ names were John and Mary. Why don’t you talk about her much?”

“I could ask you the same question.” He sighs. “I’m not ashamed of her. Some people might think that, but I’m not. I love her and I worry about her. That worry stirs up a fear in me that I will end up the same way.”

“Meaning?”

“I… She’s… Conditional bukkumāku?” 

“What are the conditions?”

“If I answer this question, I’m not ready to go into detail. It’s a sore subject. So, no more follow ups.” She nods. He looks back down at their hands on the table. She is still tracing the lines in his palm and on his fingers. It’s calming and a touch distracting. “It’s common knowledge among the rest of the team, but she’s schizophrenic and she’s lives in an institution. What they don’t know… well, not all of them anyway… is that I’m worried there might be more going on with her. A few years ago, I started to get afraid that she was starting to forget me since I rarely visit. Something I feel guilty about all the time. The last time I visited her… she didn’t recognize me right away.”

“And you’re afraid that you’ll lose the only family you have if… I’m sorry. That’s a follow-up. You said conditional.”

He looks down at his coffee cup. “To answer that, yes. But it’s more than that.”

She slowly inhales and nods. He doesn’t need to speak his fear aloud. He fears his mother is developing dementia, maybe even Alzheimer’s, which, like schizophrenia, is hereditary. He’s not guaranteed to get either, but his chances are greatly increased. Due to his age, he missed the schizophrenia bullet, but the other is still loaded in the chamber. There is currently no cure and this bullet would take his greatest asset away from him. She knows what that means for someone with an eidetic memory. A shiver runs up her spine at the thought of all that knowledge just disappearing. She warps her hand around his. “Well, I hope you know that whenever you feel like expressing those fears, concerns, or whatever, that you have someone who will listen without judgement. And if you need help researching, I’m at your disposal.”

“Thanks.”

She slides her hands from his and motions to his sandwich. “I’m distracting you from your sandwich.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Yes, but I’ve stuffed my face. And I’m sure you’re hungry.”

“I did skip lunch today.”

“What? Why?”

He chuckles. “You don’t really want to hear about my workday do you?”

She pulls her feet out of his booth and leans her elbows on the table. She rests her face between her hands. “I am very interested in hearing about your day.” She smiles and scoops up the last bite of pie.

He takes a long drag from his cup and sets it down. Sally comes and refills their cups.

“I’ll get you some more sugar, hun.”

He nods to the waitress and counts out the remaining sugar packets. He feels like his ears are on fire. She truly wants to know about his day. It doesn’t matter how boring he thought it was. Or how boring someone else might think it was. She genuinely wants to know. He looks up at her after the sugar is dropped off. He smirks. 

“What?”

“You’ve got a little pie on you.”

She wipes one corner of her mouth. “Did I get it?”

“No.”

She wipes the other corner of her mouth. “Now?”

“No.”

“Maybe you should just get it.” She tries to hold in the smirk that would give her away. He wets his lips and presses them together. She leans forward. He’s seen this move before in a movie. He knows she’s doing this on purpose. But he has to admit that he wants to know what her lip feels like. He reaches forward, he holds her chin and uses his thumb to wipe the purple pie filing from under her bottom lip. He pulls his hand back quickly when she smiles and he wipes his thumb off on his napkin. He sips his coffee and an awkward silence falls over the table.

She smiles at the redness in his cheeks. She did warn him that she found his blushing adorable and would likely make it happen more. Still, she just watches him eat and collect himself. When he appears to have recovered, she leans forward again. “So… you were about to tell me about your day.”

He looks up at her. “I promise it’s nothing exciting unless we have a case.”

“Well, what does the BAU do when they aren’t jet setting around the country?”

“We respond to requests from police departments to look at case files and make profiles they can work with. I’ve made geographic profiles and victimology reports in the past. There’s also a lot of paperwork to finish up on the case we just got back from. So, I spent yesterday and some of today doing that.”

“Paperwork for our case?”

“Yep.”

“I guess since I was a glorified consultant on that case, I didn’t have to do paperwork?”

“Huh. That’s probably an oversight. Maybe you should come up tomorrow and ask Hotch about that.”

She smirks. “Uh huh. I’m sure that’s the only reason I should come upstairs.”

“Well… I’d get to see you, but there’s also the matter of something I found out today.”

“What did you find out?”

He tents his fingers and leans forward. “That there’s an official opening at the BAU.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Kate’s not coming back. So, now we’ve got to replace her. With JJ out, we need to fill the position. Hotch is starting interviews in the morning.”

“Are you trying to say something, Dr. Reid?”

He scoffs. “Yeah. That you should apply.”

“I don’t have the pre-recs.”

“Like what?”

“10 years of experience for one. Or the case hours. I have some undercover experience, but not enough to justify the transfer. I’d also have to become a SSA before then, right?”

“Exceptions have been made in the past. They could be made again.”

She shakes her head. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I won’t get it and applying again is just going to get my hopes up. There’s no point in opening myself to that kind of disappointment again unnecessarily.”

He nibbles on his lip. “What if you had an endorsement to attach to your application? And you’re forgetting that unlike most of the agents applying, you’ve already worked a case with us.”

She shakes her head and folds her arms. “It’s a long shot.”

He shrugs. “Maybe I like an underdog.”

She smiles. “So it would seem.” He nibbles his lip. He has a strong desire to express what he’s feeling right now. What he’s been feeling for days now in fact. To express his desire to pursue this. To seriously try to get a relationship started. But he doesn’t know how. He’s never said anything like that out loud before. “Something on your mind?” He looks up at her.

“Could I be completely transparent for a second?”

“I thought you were.”

He chuckles and shakes his head. “You’ve admitted to shamelessly flirting with me. I’ve played right along, knowing full well what you’re doing. We’ve gone on two dates now, but I… want more than that.” She is taken aback by his bluntness. So much so in fact that she is at a loss for words. He smiles. “I never thought I’d see you speechless.”

“Sorry. That just took me off guard. It’s a little out of character to be honest.”

“We both agree that this has gone better than we could have hoped and we get along really well. I just… I really like spending my time with you and I’m not looking for anything casual.”

“So, you think we should stop resisting? Drop the pretense?”

“Is there pretense?”

She smirks. “Oh, I see what you did there. You want me to admit that I’m attracted to you on more than just a physical level. Is that it?”

He blushes and looks down at his coffee. He wets his lips and looks up at her without lifting his head. “By definition, dropping the pretense means that there is something you are attempting to make true that isn’t. So, if you being just my friend or holding back is a pretense, then by default…”

She grins. “I love when you get all deductive like that.” A goofy grin bursts onto his face. She sighs. “Ok fine. I admit it.”

“Admit what, Agent Winchester?”

“That I’m into you, Dr. Reid.”

He sets his hand on the table palm up. She places her hand in his. “I’m into you too.”

“I’ve gathered that.” She smiles brightly and he smiles back. “So, we’re officially dating?” He nods. Sally comes over to take Spencer’s empty plate. She smiles at Dani when she sees them holding hands on the table.

“Need anything else?”

Spencer looks at his watch. “Up to you.”

“We could get out of here. Drive around for a while?”

“Ok.”

“Check please, Sally.”

“Sure thing.”

Spencer reaches for his wallet. “What are you doing?”

“Paying.”

“I asked you out. Shouldn’t that mean I pay?”

“Are we really going to argue about this?”

She gasps and presses her hand against her chest. “Is this… our first fight?”

He laughs. “It doesn’t have to be if you just let me pay.”

Sally sets a piece of paper down on the table. “Let me know when you’re ready.” After she leaves, they make eye contact. It feels a lot like an old western stand-off. She knows she can beat him, but it might help his ego if he won. But he might like it better if she just conceded. They both reach out at the same time, but she is faster. And instead of yanking it off the table she shoves it towards him. “Let’s save our first fight for something really important.”

He smiles and takes a look at the paper. He pulls out two 20’s. “That’s a massive tip.”

He shrugs. “She’s a good server. And you know her. Regulars usually tip better than first timers, right?”

“I suppose so.” She chuckles. “Sally’s single you know.”

He smirks. “Unfortunately, I’m spoken for.”

Sally comes by with the coffee pot and Spencer offers her the paper and cash. “I’ll be back with your change.” She refreshes their cups.

“Keep it.”

She smiles brightly and hurries off before he can change his mind. He looks at Dani when she laughs. “If I’m not careful, she might give me a run for my money.”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve never met anyone quite like you.”

“Aww shucks. Thanks, Spence.”

He flashes her a big goofy smile. He struggles to count out his sugar packets with one hand. She laughs again. “For someone who doesn’t like to touch people, or is it that you don’t like people to touch you? Regardless, you sure are holding on pretty tightly.”

“I’ve wondering how you knew that on our first date.”

“Again. I’m observant. No one had to tell me. I simply watched your interactions with people while on the job and on our first date.”

He nods. “It’s strangers for the most part. And when there’s food involved. I’m ok being hugged by people I care about. Derek. Penelope. JJ and Emily, who you haven’t met yet, but I’m sure you will at some point. Henry and Jack. My mom.”

“Your family.”

“Right.”

She lifts their hands. “And now?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. It just… feels right.”

She smiles and takes a sip of her coffee. “Letting go might make it easier to fix your coffee.”

“I’ll manage.” He stacks the packets and picks them up. He wrinkles his nose at the idea of opening them with his mouth. Who knows how many people have touched them? He smirks and holds out the stack. “A little assistance?”

“You want me to tear them open? That’s a pretty big step.”

“I trust your hands more than I trust putting this paper in my mouth.”

He holds them firmly and she reaches out the tear them open. She succeeds with minimal sugar loss and he pours them into his cup. He drops the empty packets on the table, grabs his spoon, and stirs. He smiles at her. “See? Told you I’d managed.”

“I would have been more impressed if you could have done it without help.”

“But that’s…”

“I’m wasn’t saying to use your mouth.”

“Like a one-handed tear?”

“It would have been possible.” She grabs a single packet. She shakes it to get the sugar to one end, folds the empty end back and forth a few times, then tears along the fold with the packet on the table. She holds it out to him. “You miss counted by the way.”

He counts the empty packets on the table. Sure enough, he missed one. Not that he is OCD about it, but he knows exactly how many it takes to achieve the taste he likes. She pours it in his cup as he stirs. “And you wanted me to tear each one individually?”

“I didn’t say it was efficient, just that it was possible.” Her thumb rubs circles on the back of his hand and he closes his eyes. The corner of his lip twitches up. He never knew he would like holding hands this much since he’s never done it before. Which is funny when he thinks about it. He’s kissed women. Made out with a beautiful woman in a pool as his first kiss. But he’s never held hands before, much less in public. “You know, I shouldn’t admit this but… I’ve never held hands with someone before.”

“Ever?”

“Well… not in a romantic setting.”

She laughs and looks around. “This is romantic?”

“You know what I mean. I just wasn’t expecting this so soon.”

“What? You were trying to take it slow? With the rapport we’ve built in such a short amount of time? What does the profiler in you have to say about that?”

“That I shouldn’t be surprised that I gave in to my urges so quickly.”

She smirks. “Urges you say?”

He blushes. “I didn’t mean like that.”

“I know. I’m just messing with you. Just to be clear, before you start planning things and before you start trying to set your expectations, I don’t want there to be a lot of pressure. We’ve already got a leg up here. I’m already into you. You’re into me. So, now we’re just adding a touch of formality to what we’re already doing. Adding a name to it.”

“Easier said than done, but I will keep it in mind.” 

She looks into her now empty cup. She hopes that he drank his slower than she did. But he didn’t. She looks up to see him drinking the last of it. They both sigh. He slides out of the booth, still holding her hand. She slides out and stands in front of him. She pulls his hand to meet her other hand, she shifts his grip and laces her fingers between his. They smile at each other. He leads them out of the diner. She stops at the passenger door to unlock it. She looks up at him. “Should I slide across?” He reluctantly releases her hand. He opens the door and she walks around the car to her side. She unlocks it and climbs in. She buckles and starts the car. She pulls her phone from her pocket, unlocks it, pulls up her song list, and hands it to him. He smiles. “I thought the driver picked the music.”

“They do, but since you’re picking from a list of songs I like, I’ll be happy with whatever you choose.” He scrolls through the list while she lets the car idle. She watches him read the titles as fast as the screen will allow. He selects one and hands her back the phone. She looks to see which song it is. She smiles and places the phone in the cradle and hits play. She backs the car out of the space as Wicked Game by David Cook starts. “You know this song?”

“Not this version.”

She nods and drives with both hands on the wheel. His fingers graze her forearm and trail up to her hand. She lifts her hand from the wheel and turns it in his. He laces his fingers with hers and she adjusts her grip on the wheel. She drives way under the speed limit. Not really going anywhere. They don’t talk while she drives. They just listen to her music, enjoying the nice night and even better company.

They both find it comforting that they can be in each other’s company even when neither of them really had anything to say. After an hour of this, he leans his head on the back of the seat. “Tired?”

“A little.”

“Should I take you home?”

“I… I’m not really ready for this to end. This is also not something I’m used to. My mind has been quiet this whole time. Getting to know you more just by being beside you. Watching you driving. Listening to you hum along to songs you like. I’ve never been alone with someone in silence and been this comfortable.”

“Well, I can’t drive all night. We both have work in the morning.” She nibbles her lip remembering the books in her backseat. “I could take you back to my apartment? Start your Japanese lesson?”

He thinks about that for a moment. Being in her apartment presented a few problems. His attraction to her and his inescapable hunger to know everything there is to know about her, makes being alone in her apartment dangerous. He isn’t ready to be any more physical than they already are. Again, he doesn’t want something casual. He can already feel that there is a huge potential here and he worries that taking the physical part of this budding relationship any further might put an end to the lengthy conversations they’ve been having. So, that means it falls to him to be the responsible one. Though he believes that she truly meant that she wanted to give him a Japanese lesson, he worries about his own self-control.

“As much as I would like that, I think maybe we shouldn’t.”

She mentally sighs with relief. Her apartment is not guest ready. The salt lines and jars of blood are the primary reasons. She’d have to figure out a way to shoot Penny and text to get her to rush over there and clean up the place. Plus, she has the distinct impression that she makes him nervous. “Home then?”

“Can we just drive for a little longer?”

“Not ready to go then?”

“I’m enjoying the company.”

“As am I.”

He motions to her phone. “Can I peruse your music library?”

She grabs her phone out of the cradle and unlocks it. “Knock yourself out.” Most people wouldn’t let someone just go through their phone. But her personal phone didn’t have much on it. Phone numbers and music mostly. Some pictures that she could easily explain away. Same with any articles or bookmarks. Everything in it could be easily explained and not give away her secret life. He plays a variety of songs. Watching her each time to see if she’ll hum along or drum on the steering wheel. Finding what her tastes are and how her body reacts to it involuntarily.

After roughly an hour of this, she pulls her hand from his at a stop light. She reaches behind her and grabs the bag out of the floorboard. “Well, if we’re staying out here all night. Might as well get some progress on these. They are in the order in which you should read them. And I know you can read quickly, but really study each page. It’ll help you in the long run.” He pulls out the first book and sees the yellow post-it sticking out of it. It’s a list of books. “And in case you get them out of order somehow, I’ve written the list down.”

He traces the characters on the front of the book. “So, how does this work?”

“In modern Japanese, hiragana is used in combination with kanji. Kanji is also advanced. Even some native speakers don’t use it when writing, well for the most part. So, you start with hiragana, then move onto katakana. Then kanji. Once you’ve mastered reading it, you’ll learn to speak it. I should also note that once you get to books that don’t contain English, the ones that are written in kanji, it is read top to bottom, right to left, at least traditionally. You don’t have anything like that there. The last book in the pile is all hiragana though.”

She watches him study the first few pages. He is definitely taking his time. He grumbles. “Is this a children’s book?”

She laughs. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I’ve never had this much trouble reading a children’s book.”

She reaches over and takes the book out of his hands. She sets it in the seat and wiggles her fingers at him. He grabs her hand and laces his long fingers between hers. “You’ll get it. You just need less distractions.”

“You are very distracting.”

She smiles. “I do what I can.”

He looks over when the car comes to a stop. She has pulled up outside of his apartment building. He looks back at her. “Are we calling it a night?”

“I think maybe we should. We both have work in the morning. And from what you said earlier, it’s going to be a crazy day for the BAU.”

“It’s still not too late to apply.”

“I’ll take it under advisement.”

He licks his lips and looks down at their joined hands. He doesn’t want this to end. He doesn’t want to be alone in his apartment. He wants nothing more than to just sit in this car with her. Yet he knows she’s right. Things are bound to be crazy busy in the office and if they get a case on top of that, it will be worse. He needs to rest. Plus he has studying to do. He looks up at her and she’s just watching him think. He flashes her a bashful smile and she lets a small smile spread across her face. “Walk me up?”

She puts her car in park and kills the motor. “Sure.” He lets go of her hand and picks up the bag of books on his way out of the car. He rushes over to the meter and puts a few quarters in it. She takes his hand as they walk towards the door to his building. He uses his key to enter and they walk up the stairs together. He hangs the bag of books on his doorknob. “I had a great time.”

“Me too.”

“Should we schedule the next one? Or wait to see what happens with your work schedule?”

“That’s probably the smarter option. Though I liked having this plan, it just doesn’t seem fair to you to schedule something I might have to cancel.”

“It’s not fair to you either, Spencer.”

“True.”

She nods and reaches forward to take his other hand. “So, we play it by ear. We can text or call as needed or wanted for that matter.”

“I’m not much for texting, but I think I can make an exception.”

She smiles. “Good.” She looks into his eyes, trying to read if she should make a move. Kiss him good night. Or maybe just a hug since he seems concerned about how fast the physical contact is progressing. She swallows hard. She wants to do both of those things, which is a pretty big deal for her. It’s been months since she’s wanted to. Not that she’s really admitted this to anyone, but she’s even suspended her one-night stands. She hasn’t really had contact with the opposite sex since her ex left her. She pushes those thoughts away. Spencer is not him and she needs to stop comparing men to her ex. Because even though he ended it this time, she’s the one who made the decision for the split to be permanent. And it occurs to her that they are just standing at his door staring into each other’s eyes. She squeezes his hands. “Ok. I should go before we just stand in your halfway all night.”

“You think that’s something we’d do?”

“We just were.”

“Touché.”

She takes a deep breath and sighs. “I will say that I don’t think I’d be ok with a simple goodbye.”

“Meaning?”

She watches him nibble his lip. She slips her hands from his and spreads her arms, which causes him to relax some. He steps forward and she places her hands on his shoulders. He steps forward again and she slides her arms around his shoulders. Her hands coming to rest on his back. His hands graze her waist on their way to her back. She only feels one settle and assumes the other is resting on top of it. The hug is a little stiff on his part and not at all satisfactory in her book. She slides her hands further across his shoulders, pulling him closer, crossing them and bringing her hands to rest on his shoulder and the opposite shoulder blade. She presses up on her toes and rest her chin on the shoulder her hand is not resting on. He feels him inhale sharply, but he automatically responds by pulling her closer and sliding both of his hand up her back. He squeezes her and she smiles. Now, this is a hug worth remembering. She doesn’t want to apply any pressure of going further though, so she slowly lowers herself back down. Her feet flat on the floor, her arms gradually loosening. His body responds in kind and they separate slightly. His forehead comes to rest on hers. She watches him lick his lips and looks up to see his eyes are closed. She slides her hands down his arms and shifts her body backwards, not breaking the contact of the forehead.

His hands come to rest on her sides. He takes two breaths before straightening fully and opens his eyes to look down at her. “I’ll call you if tomorrow isn’t too crazy.”

“Text to let me know if it is.”

He smiles softly. “And maybe I’ll see you up there.”

“I won’t make promises, because they might not accept my application.”

He nods. He reaches up to push a loose strand of her behind her ear before fully separating from her. “Good night.”

She heads for the stairs and starts down them. She stops and looks at him over the top of the banister. “Good night, Dr. Reid.” She smiles and continues down the stairs. She practically skips to her car. She looks up at the windows and doesn’t see him. Which means his windows don’t face this side, or he isn’t looking. She shrugs and gets into her car. She wastes no time starting it and speeding away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who want to know what the car looks like:  
>   
> Image Source [Google](https://wallpapercave.com/w/LTqfItE)


	5. The Job

He leans against his front door as soon as he’s inside. His arms hang limply by his side, but he holds the bag of books firmly. He leans his head against the door and sighs. That hadn’t gone how he had expected it to. He had decided after his talk with Morgan that he was going to stress taking it slow. Just talking and getting to know each other. No more hand holding. No more physical contact. But then he saw her. Shining hazel eyes with a touch of green and bright smile. How open she had been with him. Both of them feeling that it was moving quickly, but not sure if they should fight it or not. And then he goes and flips the script. All but asking her to be his girlfriend after two dates. Strongly encouraging her to apply for the open position was both to help her achieve her own goals but also his selfish desire to see her every day. Because if she worked with him, then he wouldn’t have to leave her behind in DC when he had to work on a case.

He’s glad she pulled away when she did. It helped him control himself. He’s never been impulsive. Never rushed into something. He was hesitant with every woman he’s ever been involved with in some way. So, what is it about Dani that made him jump in with both feet?

He pushes away from the door and walks to his couch. He sets the bag on the coffee table and sits. He pulls the top book out and opens it. He stares at the post-it note inside.

_Start with this one and work your way through the stack in the order I gave them to you/below. It’s how I was taught, so you should have no problem. I would definitely start this once you’ve rested though. It’s not going to be easy. Sweet dreams and happy reading!_

He smiles and sets the book on the coffee table with the others. The first one is short. He grabs it and opens it. He could just read this one and go to bed. It wouldn’t take that long. But he recalls the difficulty he had in the car and his mind isn’t exactly clear right now. He closes the book and gathers the stack. He makes sure her books are placed safely on the desk since he knows it will be some time before he can actually read them. He changes his mind and places them into his messenger bag, removing the books and gun inside to make room. He doesn’t want to forget them when he goes to work. He double checks that the door is locked. 

He turns off the lights in the living room and kitchen before going into his bedroom. He opens his safe and places his gun inside. He closes the bedroom door and changes into his pajamas, which consist of a matching set of pants and button up shirt. He hangs his tie with the rest of them and deposits his dirty clothes into the hamper. He gathers his discarded clothes from earlier in the day and either places them in the hamper or hangs them in the closet. He turns the bathroom light on and pulls the door mostly closed, just so a little bit of light spills into the bedroom, then turns off the overhead light. He pulls back the covers and plugs his phone into the charger. He turns his alarm on. His routine is similar every night. Sometimes he did things in a different order, but all of these things were done at some point. Doing these mundane things helped him decompress from a chaotic day or overwhelming thoughts. He crawls into bed and pulls the covers over him.

He lays on his back staring up at the ceiling. He hopes that she’s able to get to sleep. He has a feeling he’s not going to have a lot of luck on that front tonight. His mind just keeps replaying the date over and over in his mind. He rolls onto his side and looks at his phone where it sits on his nightstand. Maybe he should call her, make sure she made it home safely. Wish her a restful night. He shakes his head and rolls over to his other side. How would calling and potentially waking her up help her sleep? He sticks his hand under his pillow, hugging it to his head and curling his other hand under his chin. He closes his eyes and tries to fall asleep. The itch to call her just keeps picked at his brain. He grumbles and flips back over. He grabs his phone and pulls up the contacts. He decides that maybe calling when she might be asleep is an inconsiderate move. So, he opens his text messages.

_Hey Dani. Hope you made it home ok. I’m sure you did though. You are more than capable of driving a few blocks. Anyway, I had a great time tonight and I look forward to next time. Sleep well!_

He deletes the entire message. What is the point of texting her that when he’s already said it? He likes her. That much is obvious. He relates to her on a few levels, some of which he can’t put his finger on exactly why, but he feels like they are similar in a lot of ways. Ways that she may be actively working to hide from others. But if she is joining the BAU, those will not stay hidden long around a group of profilers. He also doesn’t want to seem needy or clingy by texting or calling every time she leaves him. He slams his phone back onto the nightstand and rolls back over to face away from it.

His mind works to pinpoint the moment this problem started. Is it her sense of humor? Is it her attention to detail? Is it her take action attitude and her feet first mentality? Or is it the way her head seems to work a lot like his and that she is able to keep up with his train of thought? That not once did she look at him with the confused look he gets before his point lands on the others? He continues coming up with these questions in his head, trying to understand what it is that made him so attached to her so quickly. Before he can answer any of them, he falls asleep hugging his pillow.

***

Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 1 “The Job” has been altered as follows:

Sitting in her office with her mouse hovering over submit, she knows it’s too much to hope that she’ll get it. Especially cutting it this close to the deadline despite arriving early to work just to fill it out. But getting an endorsement from Morgan and having worked a case with the BAU is definitely more than the others had, should work in her favor. She didn’t think it appropriate for the man she’s dating to write it and Morgan has actually worked with her more. Sure, she doesn’t have the pre-recs, but maybe those two things will be enough. And who knows when this opportunity will present itself again. She takes a deep breath and clicks. She leans back in her chair and runs her fingers through her ponytail. She closes her eyes and waits. Her email dings moments later and she launches towards the keyboard. She takes a deep breath and opens the confirmation. She sighs and smiles. Interviews are being held in the BAU starting at 10 am. She still has some time to get a written endorsement, which they have asked for since she said on the application that she had it. It also needs to be submitted digitally. She pushes back from her desk. She grabs her suit jacket from the hook on the back of her door. She might not be dressed 100% like a traditional agent, but the black suit jacket over her maroon button up should be enough. Nothing she could do about the tactical combat boots and jeans though, unless she wanted to put on the regulation black cargo pants SWAT officers where. She rests her hand on the gun at her hip. She debates if she should carry it or not. Well, it shows one less qualification that she’d have to get in order to be field ready.

She remembers that she has to get her file in order as it was requested to be brought to the interview. She goes back to her desk. Academy scores, awards, big cases. It’s a career defining file. There are things that will be in this file that she is not allowed to talk about. Which means she had to downplay them when talking to Spencer about her career at the FBI, but in order to tell Hotch about them, she has to get permission. She shoots off the request and prints off everything she can. It’s still a long shot and a thin file, but she hopes it’s impressive enough. She’ll just need to borrow a computer in the BAU to print the files she requested. She sticks her freshly printed pages into a file folder with her name on it and heads out of her office.

Her work phone buzzes as she walks down the hall towards the elevator. She sees that it is a response to her file request.

“Well, that was fast.”

She goes back to her office and quickly prints the files she requested. She sees that they are heavily redacted. She groans but adds them to the file. She hurries back towards the elevator and practically punches the up button. It’s empty when the doors open. She shouldn’t be surprised. The appointment isn’t till 10 and it’s… she checks her watch again, just now 8:45. Which means he would just be arriving, unless he got called in. She steps in the elevator and presses 6.

She hugs her folder and closes her eyes. It’s been a long time since she’s been nervous about anything job related. Hell, she can only remember being nervous once. Which was during her placement, which ultimately lead to her being stuck in a cave for a year and a half. The nervous energy makes her bounce on her toes. When the doors open, she sees that she is wrong. Their office is buzzing. Agents gather in the sitting area by the elevator. She might not be the last one to arrive, but she’s definitely not the first. The bull pen is equally as busy. They must have gotten a case. She’ll need to make this fast then. She pushes past the agents that are waiting and makes a left. She walks briskly down the hallway, makes the corner and knocks on Morgan’s door. “Come in.”

“Hey.”

“Hey! Didn’t expect to see you up here.”

“You can thank Reid for that I wasn’t going to apply.”

“But you are?”

“Yep. I don’t have to most of the pre-recs. But if you wrote me an endorsement…”

“Thought you’d never ask. When do you need it?”

“It’s due before 9:30. You’re supposed to submit it digitally and print it so you can sign it. Then it goes in here.” She pats her folder.

“Good thing I’ve already got one written.”

“What? Really?”

“I knew this day would come eventually. I need to revise some things, but that shouldn’t take long.”

“Thanks, Morgan.”

“I’ll bring you my signed copy once I’m done.”

“Ok. Cool.”

She leaves him to write and goes back in the hall. Not wanting to just stand there, she walks through the glass doors to the bullpen, all of the applicants watch her just walk right through the glass doors without hesitation. She is beyond grateful that’s she been in here before. Otherwise finding his desk might have been a challenge.

She can barely see him sitting there due the large stacks off books all over his desk. But she can see his messy curls, so she knows he’s there. She moves to walk on the outside of the desks instead of up the middle. She can see him more clearly from here. He is quickly reading a book. She smiles and moves to stand beside him. Her eyes scan his desk and finds that the stack right next to his computer monitor are hers. She smiles. “Looks like you at least had the intention of reading those today.”

His head snaps in her direction. “Dani?”

“That’s my name.”

His eyes scan her. “Is that a new jacket?”

She laughs. “Not new, but rarely worn.” He sets his book down on the desk and turns in his chair to face her. “You look surprised to see me.”

“I am. I thought you had decided not to apply.”

She shrugs and clasps her hands in front of her over her folder. “I had a change of heart.”

“Any particular reason?”

She smirks. “Well, a dashing, intelligent, experienced agent strongly suggested I apply. I decided it would be rude to turn down his advice.”

A goofy smile spreads across his face. “Dashing?”

“Yep.”

“Want some coffee?”

“I should really go out in the hall and sit with the other applicants.”

He stands and brushes his fingers across the back of her hand. “Come on.” She follows along behind him towards the break room. She notes that he walks around this bullpen like he owns it. And he might as well since he’s been a part of the A team since his first day. He grabs a cup from the cabinet and checks it for cleanliness before pouring her a cup. He hands it to her and she smiles. She sticks the folder under her arm and takes it.

“I’m not the only observant one.”

He smiles. “When we had as much coffee as we did last night, it’d be hard not to.”

She takes sip. “This is way better than the stuff downstairs.”

“This isn’t provided by the Bureau. Rossi buys it and gets reimbursed.”

“None for you?”

“I’ve already got a cup at my desk. Plus, we’re all waiting for Hotch to get in so we can conference on this case. Morgan and Rossi just got back from Seattle.”

“Which means you’ve had this case for more than just today.”

“Correct.”

“You didn’t mention that when I asked.”

“We didn’t know if the cases were related yet. We may have downplayed how desperate we are for another agent. Being down two makes our workload…”

“Massive.”

“Yeah.”

She pats his arm. “Go. I shouldn’t be distracting you.”

“You’re a welcome distraction.” He smirks before turning to return to his desk. She stands holding the coffee mug between her hands. He settles in to start reading again. She smiles and sips her coffee. The only other time she’s been here is when they have a big case. She wonders what this office looks like when there isn’t one. Morgan comes into the bullpen walking swiftly. He holds out several pieces of paper and she takes them as he passes. He looks back to smile at her when she shouts thank you. He meets Rossi at the top of the stairs and the two of them go into the conference room. 

Moments later, Penny and Hotch come through the glass doors. The movement catches Reid’s attention and he gets up from his seat. They all head toward the conference room. This is her signal to go back into the hallway. They share a smile from across the bullpen and she quickly washes out the coffee mug, leaves it upside down to dry, and heads back out into the hallway. The number of people has grown since she’s been in there. She hears whispers as she moves through them to find a seat. And now all she can do is wait.

She doesn’t recognize any of the faces around her. Though that’s not really unusual. Yet some of them seem to know each other. The agent sitting next to her isn’t talking to anyone either. But she turns to Dani. “We seem to be the only ones who don’t know someone else here.”

She smirks. “Well, I know people on the other side of the glass doors, but I was just thinking that.”

She holds out her hand. “Dr. Tara Lewis.”

Dani takes it and gives it a firm shake. “SA Dani Winchester.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

“You know agents already in the department?”

“I worked a case up here this weekend.”

“Oh? Was that the one I saw on the news? The people dying in the hospital?”

“Yep. They needed a tech expert. Doesn’t get more expert than me.”

“Don’t they have an analyst?”

“Yeah. Garcia. She asked for my help. She’s one of the people I know.”

“Hmm. That makes me feel worse about my chances.”

“Worse? Why?”

“I have a psychology background. Talking with serial killers after they’ve been caught is not the same as catching them.”

“Well, I haven’t done a ton of case work. I’m a tactical agent. SWAT. Although the Bureau would have loved for most of my time to be spent behind a desk, so it’s not like I’m in any better position just because I’ve worked one case. Hell, I don’t even meet most of the pre-recs but one of the agents convinced me to apply. So, here I am.”

“You don’t want to be here?”

“I didn’t say that. I’ve been trying to get up here since I was recruited.”

“Well, good luck.”

“Yeah. You too.”

Hotch comes through the doors and everyone stands ups. He informs them that they have an active case and that the interview process might take a while. He asks if any of them need to get back to their field offices and unsurprisingly everyone says no. Then he asks Dr. Lewis to go with him. She sits back down and settles in to wait as long as she has to. The other agents might give up in time. She knows from experience that the BAU works long hours while working a big case. Sometimes not sleeping for a few days. At least it was like that for her case. None of them left. None of them stopped working. She worked that case for roughly 30 hours straight from being asked to help to catching the UnSub. It would be no different here if she had to make an educated guess. So, she’ll wait. Outlast everyone else to get her shot.

She leans her head against the wall and spends most of the morning lost in thought. Most of those thoughts center on Spencer. She has picked up on his struggles. Last night being the perfect example. He seemed to be flip flopping on how to progress things. Trying to keep his distance at first and then caving. She gets the impression that he’s a little unnerved that she was able to get as close to him as she has in less than a week. 

She’s not that surprised. She has a knack for getting people to trust her. She needs that as hunter since what she is trying to sell the people she’s trying to save on is hard to believe. Being able to build trust and rapport quickly is a vital skill. She’s seen that skill impact her personal relationships. She has to admit though that Spencer is a special case in that he’s also gotten her to open up about herself. It’s not an easy task hiding a secret life, but the easiest way to do that is to keep people at arm’s length, by keeping herself closed off. She doesn’t have to lie about stuff if they don’t know her at all.

Her friendship with Penelope is an exception. She’s the one person where worlds collide and she can be completely open about herself. Not that she is, because she wants to protect her friend from all the evils that lurk in the dark. She knows Dani is a hunter and she knows when Dani is reluctant to talk about something it usually as everything to do with that or her family. Both of which go hand in hand. Spencer is the first outsider that she’s even wanted to spend time with for more than one night.

She’s pretty sure his reasoning isn’t the same as hers, but she’s is more than happy to continue at this pace if he is. If he wants to slow down, that’s fine too so long as he still wants to hang around in the process.

At lunchtime, a large number of the other agents leave to go eat. But she doesn’t. She orders food for herself, the team, the other BAU agents, and the other interviewees that haven’t left. She only leaves long enough to go downstairs to get it from the delivery guy. She offers the interviewees the hot sandwiches first and ignores the whispers of her being a suck up when she walks away. Next, she knocks on Penny’s office door. “It’s open.” She pushes the door open and the smell of food wafts towards the analyst. She spins in her chair. “Oh, bless you!” Dani digs around in the bag looking for the grilled cheese she ordered for her vegetarian friend while she makes grabby hands in her direction.

“If I’m just going to sit around, I might as well be useful.”

“Sitting around?” She unwraps her sandwich and takes a big whiff. “Mmm. Why would you just be sitting around?”

She drums her fingers on the file folder under her arm. “Been carrying this bad boy around all day.”

She gasps. “You applied?”

She nods. “This morning. I’m likely last on the interview list.”

“He’s only gotten to the first person. And even that had to be cut short.”

“I gathered since Tara is just sitting in Hotch’s office.”

“She’s going to be waiting a while.”

“Well, enjoy that. I’ve got more sandwiches to deliver while they’re warm.”

“Good luck!”

Dani smiles and waves. “Thanks.”

“You still need to tell me about your date last night.”

“Later. You’ve got work to do.”

“The team should be headed for the conference room. I bet you can catch Morgan at the elevator. I’m on my way there in a few minutes actually.”

She nods and leaves her office. Having just been in the hall her money is on Morgan actually being in his office, possibly to grab something before meeting with the group. So, she heads away from the elevator and knocks on his door. Sure enough, he pulls it open. “I was just on my way out.”

“Well, at least take a sandwich.”

He grabs one from the bag that is offered to him. “Thanks, Slugger. Wait. Why are you here with sandwiches?”

She tilts her head toward the direction of the other hall. “I’ve been sitting out there all morning. Thought I’d at least be useful.”

“Walk with me.” He unwraps his sandwich as he walks. She follows beside him. He opens the glass door for her and the other agents glare at her. He notices. “You’ve been getting that all morning too?”

“Yep.”

He pours himself a glass of water in the break area. He claps her on the arm. “Set your sandwiches up here. But hand deliver them to Rossi, Hotch, Reid, and Anderson. If you’re looking to earn some brownie points.”

“I’ll take whatever I can get at this point.”

“Maybe don’t say that to Hotch when asked why you want to be here.”

“Point taken.”

He smiles and walks out of the bullpen. She pulls all but six sandwiches out of the bag and lays them out on the table. An agent sees her doing it and points. “Those for us?”

“Yep.”

He lets out a whistle and the lower ranking BAU agents come rushing over to collect one. All of them giving her their thanks by name, since they all know who she is at this point. She moves around them and sees Anderson at his desk. “Hungry?”

He looks up at her. “Agent Winchester.”

“Dani.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m one of the many applicants. I knew you guys wouldn’t stop to eat, so I brought food to you.” She reaches into the bag and pulls out a sandwich. She holds it out to him and he takes it with a huge smile on his face.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” She sees that Reid and Rossi are standing together, which means Hotch must already be in the conference room. She sticks her head in Hotch’s office and Tara is still just sitting there. “Hey.”

Tara turns to see Dani. “Hey?”

She tosses her a sandwich. “Thought you might be hungry.”

She smiles. “Thanks.”

She shrugs. “Don’t mention it.” She breezes past Rossi’s office and stops at the conference room door. She can see the unit chief in there reading something and she really doesn’t want to disturb him. But it would definitely be worse if they were in a meeting. She knocks on the door frame.

He looks up and the corner of his mouth twitches. “Dani.” He walks around the table and holds out his hand. She shakes it. “Good to see you again.”

“You too, sir.”

“What brings you up here?”

She grabs the file folder from under her arm and sort of waves it at him. “Interviews.”

He perks up a little more. “You applied?”

“Yes, sir. I almost didn’t since I don’t quite have all the pre-recs, but Dr. Reid convinced me to.” She tucks the folder back under her arm. She holds out the bag. “I know from experience, even if it was just once, that you guys don’t stop to eat, so… I’m making sure you do.”

He reaches into the bag. “Thank you. And you’re right we sometimes forget that.”

“Well, I figured if I was just going to be sitting around, I might as well do something useful. Other than interjecting myself, this is what I came up with.”

“I appreciate it. If I’m being honest, I’m not sure how far I’ll get today.”

“Hey. No rush. The case comes first. And I’ll uh… be around if you need help.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you, Dani.”

She turns and heads for the door. “Oh…” She turns back around to face him. “The others are headed this way. At least Garcia and Morgan are. I found them in their offices and that’s what they said.”

He smirks slightly. “Thank you.”

She smiles and leaves the room. His desk is the second desk right by the stairs at the end of the landing by the conference room. He has a board set up with pictures on it. They are both looking at a book. Rossi motions to him with his notepad. “You said that this character was the precursor to today’s clown because he couldn’t speak, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“So, he was also the first mime, too.”

“Very much so.”

She chuckles, because she can’t help herself. She holds out a sandwich to Rossi. “Actually, that’s not entirely true. Mimes have actually been traced as far back as Ancient Greece. Their performances weren’t necessarily silent, but the name comes from a single masked dancer called Pantomimus.”

Rossi smiles at her as he takes the sandwich from her hand. “Nice to see you, Dani.”

“In fact, some of the archetypes from Commedia dell’Arte, which I assume is what you’re talking about, have been traced back to certain stock characters in Ancient Greek theatre.”

She smiles at him and offers him a sandwich. He takes it and smiles. “Thanks.”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt your flow.”

“It’s alright.”

Rossi nods towards Spencer as he unwraps his. “It looked like you were about to have an epiphany.”

“Right. The inverted colors, making it so the jaw looks different. And traditionally, modern mimes don’t talk. Which means… Oh. Oh.”

He rushes towards the conference room and Rossi shrugs to Dani as he follows. She can see through the open door that the others have already made their way in. She removes the last sandwich from the bag. She is drawn to the board they have set up. The victims with their painted faces like an inverted pulcinella. The map that marks the location of the two victims, which are clear across the country from each other. She sits in his chair and eats her sandwich. Occasionally glancing at the books he has open and papers he has laying around. She figures out what he did. That their UnSub likely has an injured jaw. If she had to put money on it, she’d also say he is Italian or Italian descent since only theatre nerds and those who studied Italian history would know any of that. And every Italian she’s met just loves their history.

She finishes her lunch at his desk not really wanting to go back out into the hallway to be glared at. She sees that despite being busy he has been studying her books as well. In fact, he appears to be on the last one. She smirks and uses the pen on his desk to write on a post-it note she finds. She sticks it to his screen and heads for the break area. She throws away her trash and sits down at the table there. The team scatters a short time later to go do their own research. She watches him go to his desk and then look around. She waves at him and he smiles. He sits down at his desk and motions for her to come over. She gets up and goes back over to him.

“Thanks for lunch.”

“My pleasure.”

She leans against the desk next to him. He looks around and reaches over to take her hand. She moves a little closer to use her body to block the interaction. Not that either one of them is really concerned about hiding their growing relationship from outside eyes, it just seems like a good idea today because the other applicants might think they are using their relationship to get her promoted and that’s exactly why fraternization rules apply. His thumb rubs the back of her hand. “I found your note.”

She smirks. “I didn’t exactly hide it.”

“I’m just happy I could read it.”

“Looks like you’re going to need a new stack tomorrow, so long as you pass your quiz.”

“My quiz?”

“Yep. I’ve hidden a quiz for you. Best finish the last book first. It’s going to be harder than you think. And I bet you go back to the other books for assistance, but you’ll get it.”

He looks at their hands and back up at her. “You know I could get used to this.”

“I need to get the job first.”

“True.”

She squeezes his hand. “I’m distracting you and you’ve got a case to solve.”

“That I do.”

She reaches out and ruffles his hair. “If you need me, I’ll be in the hall.”

He smiles brightly and holds her hand until he has to let go as she walks away. He watches her move through the room and open the glass door. She flashes him one last smile before continuing on her way.

She sits and waits while he works. Tara has been moved from Hotch’s office to the hallway. Hours later Penny comes scurrying out of her office. “Excuse me, everyone. Agent Hotchner wants you all to meet up in the bullpen. The team wants to deliver the profile to you all.”

One of the agents who has been sending hateful looks to Dani asks, “Is this a test?”

Dani scoffs. “Of course, it’s a test.”

Penny smiles at her and Dani makes the first move to go in with Tara right beside her. They all gather in the center aisle between the desks. She and Tara take up positions in the front of the pack. “OK. So, everybody, wait here. The team will be here shortly.”

Penny scurries off, likely back to her office. She looks towards to conference room. She nods towards it and Tara looks. “Hotch must be at the latest crime scene.”

“Latest? How do you know that?”

She motions to the board. “There were two pictures on the board. Now, there are three.”

“That’s one unique signature.”

Dani chuckles. “I could go into detail, but I don’t want to steal their thunder. Plus, I don’t have all the details so I could be wrong.”

“I understand that.”

Dani looks around. “Not everyone has returned.”

“Well, I’d be willing to bet if they aren’t here when this starts then, they won’t be getting the job.”

“I’m sure Garcia has been told to notify us all.” As soon as she says that, her work phone goes off along with all the phone arounds her. “And there it is.”

“Must be fairly local this time if she’s already gathering us.”

Dani nods to the board. “The first victim was in Albany, New York. The second in Seattle. So, by process of elimination…”

“Fairly local.”

“Exactly.”

Hotch comes into the room behind them and cuts through the break room to get to the conference room. Dani watches them talk for a while then head out the door. They line up in front of the group. Morgan winks at her before they start. She shakes her head, but catches Spencer’s eye. He’s blushing a little which must have something to do with the wink Morgan gave her. He starts the profile. “The UnSub that we’re looking for is a contract killer who is doubling back to kill his former customers. This man is highly skilled and well-trained. Under no circumstances should he be engaged without back-up.”

Tara speaks up next to her. “So, was this a case of organized crime tying up loose ends?”

Dani answers in her head, and Rossi expresses her thought verbally. “Organized crime’s got nothing to do with this, at least not in the traditional sense.”

“In 2013, the Bureau took down the Silk Road Network.” Something Dani is intimately familiar with as she was involved in the take down. “Our initial assumption was that it was an encrypted online market for illegal drugs, which it was, but upon further inspection, we were stunned at the breadth of goods and services being traded online. Weapons, child porn, even hit men.”

“And the payment scheme was escrow based, in which the buyer would put down half as a deposit and the other half when the seller delivered.” Dani nods as Hotch speaks, knowing that escrow accounts wouldn’t immediately flag as illegal.

“We’ve now confirmed that all 3 victims hired the UnSub over the past year through a similar escrow system.”

From Dani’s dark web experience, it strikes her as odd that a hit man would kill his clients and then leave a message for them in the face paint. “So, why is he killing his old clients?”

“Hit men don’t leave a message unless you pay them to. The exception is to leave a warning for customers or competitors.” Rossi flashes a small smile her direction. A sign that he is happy she asked.

“This UnSub suffered some sort of injury to his jaw or voice, most likely as a result of something these customers did.” Reid makes eye contact with her. “The pulcinella mask is his statement on revenge and justice – betray the oath between customer and contractor and you’ll pay the price.”

Morgan turns his attention from Spencer to the group. “Now, normally a man with this kind of defect would attract attention. The fact that he hasn’t indicates that he has deep pockets and a network of resources at his disposal.”

“Share this profile with your local divisions and with law enforcement. Search for escrow payments to match the UnSub to his clients. One of those clients will be his next target. Thank you.” Everyone goes into motion to make phone calls. She knows the team in her office can’t help with this. But she can. She walks up to Hotch before he can get too far away.

“Sir.”

He turns. “Yes, Dani?”

“You got a computer I can use?” He smiles.

“Go join Garcia in her office. And be prepared to go out in the field, we might need your tactical expertise for a raid. I would like you to run point.”

She smiles brightly. “Yes, sir.”

“And Dani?”

“Yes?”

“Leave your file in my office.” He turns to go with Rossi into the conference room. She has to stop herself from jumping in excitement. Morgan slaps her back as he heads to his office. She walks to meet Spencer at his desk.

“That went well.”

He nods. “I’m glad you spoke up. It’s likely what he was looking for.”

She smiles. “I know.”

He squeezes her hand. “Do you have a vest with you?”

“In my office. Not that I really want to go all that way just to get a vest.”

“Are you being lazy, Agent Winchester?”

“Not lazy. I’m just enjoying being up here again. Not to mention the company.” He smiles and looks around the room. It’s fairly empty now. Only a few agents still hanging around. It’s the end of the work day after all. And the other agents aren’t really working on this case anyway. It’s common for the junior BAU agents to go home even it is there’s a locally operated case. The exception is Anderson. He is the senior ranking of the junior agents and sometimes doubles as Hotch’s assistant. Like toady with all the applicants floating around. He is at his desk, closest to Hotch’s office, sorting through files. So, if they aren’t careful, he’ll hear everything. He looks back at her when she squeezes his hand. “Well, I’m sort of working this case now. So, I’d better go find a computer.”

“You can use mine.”

She chuckles. “No offense, but your computer is going to need a few upgrades before I use it for my purposes.”

He smiles. “None taken. I only use it for email and reports.”

“I figured as much.”

“Well, if you need a vest, we can get you one.”

She sighs. “No. I should probably just go down there and get mine. And maybe the rest of my tact too since I will likely be leading the charge.” He squeezes her hand as she pushes off his desk. “I’ll be in Penny’s office if you need me.”

“Ok.” And again, he watches her walk through the bullpen. She stops and gives him a small wave before disappearing down the hall. She goes into Penny’s office and she isn’t there. She sits in the extra seat and starts searching. 

Moments later Penny comes storming in with Morgan hot on her heels. She heads for her chair and Morgan leans on the desk. “I’m following the digital breadcrumbs but the problem is this Silk Road bust made online hit men and drug dealers that much better at hiding. Oh good. You’re here too.” Dani stands to come look over her shoulder. “Ok, take this, for instance. It’s the dummy corporation the UnSub uses for his escrow. And he never goes to the same place twice.”

He shrugs. “Well, cuz we would track it to him.”

“Right. And this is where I go into the very bad spinning out place. What if there’s a whole network of professional killers out there?”

Dani chuckles. “It’s very likely, but we’d catch them.”

“How? How are you gonna profile a bunch of ones and zeroes?”

“We’ll try. We all have to do jobs that we don’t normally do, right?” He backhands her shoulder softly. “Come on, now. All right, Garcia, what if we look at the paper trail from the opposite direction?”

“Walk me through what you speak of.”

“Ok. Cast a wide net over the past 6 months. Look for anyone who’s ever set up an escrow.”

She shakes her head. “Well, I already did that. The numbers are astronomical.”

Dani leans in on her other side. “Yeah, but did you eliminate the reputable corporations?”

Morgan nods. “The whole point is it’s a fly by night, right?”

She nods. “Mm-hmm, and because of the housing market crash, there’s still a ton out there.”

“We also have insider trader information. The UnSub charges 40k a hit.”

“Oh.” She types. “Oh! That brings the numbers way down. I got 16 across the country.”

“Ok. The way this operates is the customer puts half down when he places the order and the other half when the job is done.”

“Ok. So, two payments of 20,000 each.” A picture pops up on the screen as one person is left in the search. “I don’t believe it. We found out next victim.”

“See? Who says we can’t profile the ones and zeroes, huh?”

“And he’s in Baltimore. That’s right next door.”

“And we’re gunna get there first. Nobody does it like you and me, Baby Girl.” He kisses her cheek. “Thank you.” He hooks Dani around the shoulders as he heads out. “And you helped too, Slugger.”

“Guess I don’t need a computer after all.”

“Nope. You’re coming with me. Suit up.” She nods and they part ways. He heads to his office and she heads to the elevator. She goes right to the locker room. She opens the locker with her name on it and takes in the gear inside. She hangs her suit jacket on a hook inside. She thinks about just grabbing the vest since it’s really all she needs since she is already armed. She pulls her phone from her pocket and shoots a text to Morgan.

_How suited up should I be?_

She drums her fingers on the back of her phone while she waits for the response. She wonders if any of them will recognize her with her gear on. Remember that she has been on raids with them a few times before. Her phone buzzes and she smiles at the response.

_Show them how bad ass you are. Full tact._

_Well, maybe not the helmet._

_Or that mask that you prefer._

_Actually… Is tact casual a thing?_

_Haha. I get your meaning. Be up shortly._

She empties her pockets. Phones, wallet, keys, creds. She strips to her tank and underwear and just as quickly pulls on black cargo pants, an black long sleeve with Quantico SWAT printed on the shoulder of each sleeve and one on her chest. She tucks it in and pushes up the sleeves. She pulls out her lighter vest. The one she would wear over her usual attire. No need to bust out the heavy duty one. Still the bright white “FBI” on her chest and back make it clear again that she means business. She pulls a holster from the locker and straps her gun to her right thigh. She pulls on a pair of black padded fingerless gloves. She will need to be issued coms, but this should do. Her get up is still regulation for light duty as far as SWAT is considered, but not near enough gear for a raid. She loads her belongings into her pockets. She adds the final piece by adding her large gold badge to her waistband.

She nods after doing a once over and goes back up the elevator. She meets Morgan as he heads into the bullpen. 

“That’s casual?”

She chuckles. “It’s regulation for light duty. If Hotch meant what I think he did, then I’m leading the entry. Honestly. I feel a little underdressed for that.”

He opens the glass door for her and she shakes her head. She walks through and they meet the others in the conference room. Rossi and Spencer already have their vests on. Rossi nods to her. “Ah. That’s the Winchester I’m used to seeing.”

“Mostly.”

He laughs. “You do tend to have more gear than that.”

“Much more. I usually don’t do anywhere without my helmet and facemask.”

Spencer inhales and nods as recognition falls over him. “You were with us on that raid to save that school bus full of kidnapped kids.”

She nods. “Yep. My first actually.”

“Rough one to start on.”

She smiles at him. “Nothing like being thrown into the fire feet first.” She turns her attention to Rossi. “So, what’s the play?”

“Baltimore SWAT and local PD are going to meet us there. You will run point with us and SWAT. You will take the lead when we arrive. We ready to go?”

The three of them nod and head out. Tara watches them pass. She smiles at Dani who smiles back. Going out with the team is clearly a good sign. Morgan climbs in the driver’s seat, Rossi claims the front passenger. Which means that she’ll be sharing the back with Spencer. Which she is fine with. They talk strategy as they drive. She and Spencer keep glancing and smiling at each other. When they arrive, she is the first one out of the SUV. The SWAT captain looks past her to talk to Rossi who is clearly the senior agent.

“Gentlemen. Captain Wilson. Baltimore SWAT.”

Dani takes his extended hand. “Special Agent Winchester, Quantico SWAT.”

He looks surprised but returns her handshake with strength. “Ma’am. How do you want to handle this?”

She tries not to feel smug when she sees the realization that she has just pulled rank on him. “Standard breach and clear. Then my team can lock it down.”

“Sounds good, ma’am. Will you be leading entry?”

She smiles at him. “Absolutely.”

She unholsters her gun and the others follow suit. She breaks off to meet the rest of the SWAT team. She is happy to see that they all treat her with respect. That isn’t always the case being the only female present.

She leads SWAT in and finds the would-be victim tied up and shouting. Everyone is shouting for him to put his hands up but he can’t. She and Spencer see that first. “He can’t! Don’t shoot!”

She looks directly at SWAT officer near her. “Stand down!”

She follows Spencer forward and both of them holster their weapons. “You mean that literally don’t you? You can’t drop it.”

“Yeah!”

Morgan yells at the man. “What did he use? What did he use?!”

He nods towards the cart he’s leaning on. “Over there.”

Spencer grabs his hands to examine them. “It’s dried and set, and he glued over the pin hole.”

Dani bends over him to look. “Well… So, much for just putting a pin back in it.”

Spencer looks at the victim. “Do you have any acetone?”

“It’s not gunna work. It’s not gunna work.”

Morgan shows him the bottle. “Reid, he’s right. This is industrial acrylic. It holds car parts together.”

SWAT Captain Wilson steps up to Rossi. “Bomb squad’s 10 minutes out. I’m gunna take my men out and set up a perimeter. Maybe we can still box this guy in.”

That seems odd to her. That’s not normally what they’d do. It is not procedure at all to just leave those they are escorting with an active explosive. Rossi just looks at him. “We’re staying”

Morgan and Reid help him stand. The captain nods and speaks into his radio. “All right, we’re going block to block, gentlemen.”

The victim looks anxiously between the four of them. Moving his hands while he talks. “Look, you gotta do something, ok?”

Morgan places his hands around his. “We will, we will, but you need to stay still. Stay still.”

Reid looks around the garage. She watches him as the victim continues talking. “He… He pulled the pin. I’m holding down this clamp here, but my hand is cramping, so you… just do something, all right?!”

“Morgan, 4 cars.”

“What about them?”

“Each car has a battery, right?”

She smiles catching on right away what he wants to do. “And each battery has an electrolyte solution of 62% water, 38% sulfuric acid.” He looks at her and smiles.

“Exactly.”

Morgan shakes his head. “No… Reid, that’s not gunna work.”

Rossi leans in. “Why not?”

He looks back at Spencer. “Because the acrylic will stay bonded to the metal.”

“Absolutely true, but it will also create a saponification effect on his flesh. The grenade will literally slide out of his hand like a wet bar of soap. Of course, there will be an intense burning sensation on the skin.”

Dani adds. “And the smell will be horrendous.”

The victim shakes his head violently. “You can’t! You’re not burning my hands! You’re not gunna do it!”

Morgan firms up his grip on the guy’s hands. “Stay still!”

Rossi holds out his hand. “Hey, listen, Pal! You got yourself into this mess, so unless you got a better idea, just shut up.”

The man won’t stand still and it makes her nervous. She steps between him and Rossi. She places her hands on his shoulders. “Hey. Hey. Look at me.” He shakes his head, looking down at his hands. “Hey. Eyes on me.” He looks up. “What’s your name?”

“Al.”

“Alright, Al. Listen. This solution, this chemical burn, is temporary. You will heal, but if you don’t let us help you and that grenade goes off because you can’t hold that lever down any more… well, blowing us all up is definitely not temporary.” He nods and she smiles at him. “So, do you think you can stay still? Do you think you can do this?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.”

“Good. That’s good. Reid.”

“On it. Though I could use the help.”

She nods. “Morgan is going to stay right here with you while I go help Dr. Reid.” He nods. She squeezes his shoulder and goes right for the toolbox. She grabs a wrench and rushes to the nearest car. It takes her seconds to get the battery out. Spencer in the meantime has found four sets of rubber gloves and something he can suck up the solution with. “Need more than one?”

He shakes his head. “One should be fine.”

They both put on gloves, she shoves her fingerless gloves into a spare pocket, and he starts to dismantle the battery. She hands a pair of gloves to Morgan and Rossi. “These are rubber, so when that grenade comes free, be careful. It’s going to be slippery.”

Rossi nods. “I can handle it.”

“Which means, Morgan you should probably help Al here pull his hands apart once Rossi has a hold of the lever and grenade.”

“What will you do?”

“Keep my gloves clean so I can get yours off without you burning yourselves. And trying to keep him calm.”

They nod towards him and she goes back to him. He’s just staring at his hands. She pulls a stool over and motions for him to sit. “How’s the cramping?”

“I could use some help holding it down.” She wraps her hands around his, pressing his thumb against the lever. “Ok, I’ve got it. You can relax a little bit. Go slowly though.”

“It’s not like I can move that much.”

“But a little break is better than nothing.”

“True.”

Spencer comes over. “I’m ready.” He goes back to the battery.

“Alright, I’m going to let go so this is all you, Al.”

He nods. “Alright. Someone’s gunna hold the grenade while this thing is… right?”

Rossi wraps his hand around the grenade as best he can. “That’s my job.”

Spencer has the larger dropper in hand. He looks Al in the eye. “This is gunna hurt, but you’ll survive. Is everybody ready?” Dani comes around Al and places her hands on his shoulders.

Rossi takes a deep breath before adjusting his grip. “Yeah. Just watch your aim, kid. All right, my hand’s on the lever.”

Morgan grabs Al’s hands. “All right, I need you to help me pull. Come on, now.”

“Yeah.” Spencer starts pouring the acid and Al’s skin starts to sizzle. The smell burns their noses. Morgan and Al pull while he screams. Then the grenade pops free into Rossi’s hands.

“I’ve got it.”

Morgan starts wiping the acid off. “Here. We safe, Rossi?”

Rossi cradles the grenade, holding the lever down firmly. “Yeah, we’re good. The lever’s sti…”

The grenade starts sizzling. She can hear the click from the lever coming loose. Rossi yells, “Run!” Morgan is up first. She gets Al up and moving. Pulling him along by the arm. Spencer looks back and reaches for her hand. She doesn’t need his help, but she takes his hand anyway. Morgan dives behind the cop car. Followed by Spencer and Dani sliding onto the ground. All of them covering their head. Al falls to the ground just shy of the cop car when the grenade goes off. She looks back to see Rossi stumbling to get behind the car, covering his head. Spencer looks between them.

“You guys ok? Anyone hurt?” He stands up still holding her hand. The rest of them stand too. He looks at Al, but glances at Dani. “You ok?”

Al starts coughing and the quickly runs past Morgan to the back of the cop car to vomit. She tries not to laugh at him. Rossi, however, scoffs. “Yeah, he’s fine.”

Dani breaks his hold on her hand and starts to remove his gloves. After they are off, he starts dusting himself off. She removes Rossi’s and Morgan’s before removing her own. Rossi claps her on the back. “You’re great under pressure.”

“Thanks. Though I’m starting to think maybe I should have caught the grenade.” He laughs and shakes his head.

Morgan looks back at Al. “Alright, let’s get him back.”

Spencer keeps glancing at Dani. Rossi and Morgan start for the SUV, walking Al with them. “You sure you’re ok?”

“Me? I’m great!”

“You almost got blown up and you’re great?”

She laughs. “This is what I was trained for.”

“For someone who claims to not have a science background, you sure knew the makeup of battery acid.”

“It’s got nothing to do with science and everything to do with being raised by mechanics.”

“Well, ok then.” He smiles.

They walk side by side to the SUV. “Why did you offer me your hand?”

“I don’t know.”

“I could have easily out run you to get out.”

“I know that.”

“So, why? I’m sure you had a reason.”

He scratches the back of his head. “I… just wanted to make sure we didn’t get separated. And I… wanted to make sure you were ok.”

“And you were scared?”

“That and worried.”

“Think that’ll become a problem, if I join the team?”

He shrugs. “I guess we’ll only find out when we get a dangerous case.”

She nudges him with her shoulder before going around to her side of the SUV and climbing in. When they get back, she gets told to keep her vest on because once they figure out where he is, they want her ready to go. But because she isn’t officially on this case, she has to go sit with Tara off to the side while they discuss the case. Tara smirks at her. “Looks like you had fun.”

She shrugs. “Meh. Kind my nine to five.”

“Really?”

“Tactical, remember?”

“Right.”

“Plus, it beats being stuck behind a computer screen.”

“After what I’m hearing about what happened out there, I’m not liking my chances.”

“The night is still young.”

They both laugh and return to watching the profilers work. Morgan comes in from interrogating Al and they quickly figure out who the next target is. The SWAT captain and his wife. Dani nods. She knew something wasn’t right with that guy. Hotch stays with Garcia, Rossi is going to go to the wife’s house, and she is going along with Morgan and Reid to try and catch the UnSub. They wait with their backup for a location. Morgan smiles at her in his rear view. “So, you and Reid huh?”

Spencer glares at him. “Morgan.”

“I couldn’t help but notice the hand holding during the explosion.”

“I just wanted to make sure we didn’t lose her.”

Morgan laughs. “Uh huh. You seem to forget that I know exactly how fast she is.”

She scoots forward and rests her arms on their seats. “Oh, come on, Spencer. We already agreed that secrecy is only required around outsiders.”

“Thanks for the confirmation, D.”

“It’s not really confirmation, since we’re just at the dating stage.”

“Uh huh. Hand holding while running from an explosion doesn’t just say dating to me.”

She smirks. “Well, if it means anything else than concern, I am not aware of it. Now, shouldn’t you focus on driving?”

He smiles and silence falls over the car. Moments later his phone goes off with an address. “Let’s roll.”

They get to the lot and hide behind some junk. SWAT tries to get a shot, but can’t. The captain tries to shoot the UnSub. When the hitman bails out of the car, Morgan and Dani pursue him. Leaving Spencer to deal with the cop. She stays on Morgan’s six as they silently look for him. The UnSub shots and it narrowly misses Morgan. They spilt up and try to box him in. She hears something fall and Morgan grunt. She runs in and finds them struggling over Morgan’s gun. She kicks the UnSub in the knee and Morgan head butts him. They get turned around and she can’t get a clean hit in without hitting her ally. So, instead she helps Morgan spin him around and they shove him into a wooden pallet. Morgan tears the gun away and she uses the UnSubs momentum to throw him into some barrels. They both aim their guns at him. Morgan glares at him. “You are under arrest.”

She holsters her gun and grabs the cuffs off the back of Morgan’s belt. She puts her knee in the UnSubs back and cuffs him. Morgan puts his gun away and goes over to help her get him up. They walk him back toward the backup vehicles, one of which happens to be an ambulance. They find that Spencer has talked the husband down and they bring them both in alive. Spencer calls Garcia to let her know. Morgan and Dani stand by the SUV after turning the UnSub over and wait. “That was some great work out there. Though, I’m surprised you didn’t just shoot him.”

“With all this Silk Road business cropping back up, I figured he might provide good intel. Plus, I thought we could take him.”

“You’re right about that.”

Spencer comes over and they get into the SUV. The ride is quiet. Everyone too alert and happy to really talk. Then her work phone buzzes. She sees that it’s Penny. “Hey there.”

“Hey. I hear it went well.”

“Yep. Spencer already told you we got both of them alive. So, that’s a win.”

“Yep.”

She could hear something in her friend’s voice. “Penny… what’s wrong?”

Spencer looks back at her when her voices shifts to a more serious tone. “Well, I’m sending all these agents home.”

“Uh huh.”

“And that was pretty hard. They all looked so disappointed.”

“Uh huh.”

“But then I remembered there was one more person to tell.”

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. She knows where this is going. “It’s ok, Penny. She’s good. I understand why Hotch selected her.”

“You don’t sound as upset as I thought you’d be.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t have the pre-recs. Nothing he could do.”

“Dani…”

“I’m right, right? The position has been filled?”

“Yeah, but…”

“Then that’s that. I’ll just have to try again.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Penny, it’s fine. Don’t fret about it.”

“Want me to come over later?”

“Nah. It’s been a long 36 hours. Give or take a few hours. I’m tired. You’re tired. I’m just going to go home. Maybe take a nice bath. Then go to bed.”

“Ok. But if you need anything.”

“I know. You’re just a phone call away. I’ve gotta go, Pen.”

“Ok. See you when you get back.”

Dani hangs up the phone and just stares at the blank screen for a few seconds before sliding it into her pocket. Both Spencer and Morgan are looking back at her now. “Light’s green.” Morgan faces forward to drive. “And don’t either one of you say that you’re sorry. I knew this was a long shot and more apologies will only ruin an otherwise awesome day.” Morgan simply nods, but Spencer continues to look at her. She smiles softly. “Really, Spence. I’m fine. Disappointed? Sure. But ultimately fine.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. Don’t worry about me.”

“Easier said than done.”

She reaches forward, sticking her hand between the door and his seat, to touch his arm. “Really, Spence. I’ll be ok. It’s not the end of the world.” He reaches over with his left hand to press her hand into his arm. She squeezes and then slides her hand away. She can already feel her anger starting to surge. It happens every time people ask if she’s ok even though she has said that she’s fine. It’s a Winchester thing. She’s worried that she might blow up at one of them if they ask again. They are right to ask. She’s not ok. The idea of going back to that office, of just being muscle, or sitting behind a computer screen when they don’t need her squad... She used to love being a hacker, she used to love being at the front of the pact when storming in somewhere, and now it feels like it defines her. Nerd or muscle. She’s either nothing more than a glorified, higher paid, tech analyst or a human shield. She stares out the window, concentrating on her breathing. Trying to keep herself calm while she rides with her friend and potential boyfriend. She’s not sure what emotion will pop out right now. Seething rage or blubbering mess. Either way she needs to shoot something. They pull up at Quantico and she’s out of the car before Morgan even has it completely stopped in the parking spot. 

Spencer reaches for the door to chase after her. She’s clearly not fine. But Derek grabs his arm to stop him. He looks at his friend’s hand and then up at his face. “Let her go, kid.”

He motions to where she has just disappeared inside the doors. “She’s clearly upset.”

“And going after her, asking yet again if she’s ok, is only going to piss her off.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve seen it before.”

“With her or other people?”

“Her. In fact, the first time I ever saw her act like that was after her placement. So, if this is anything like that, she’s going to the gun range and burning through a lot of ammo.” He lets go of Spencer’s arm and kills the car. “Trust me. It’s safer if you stay away.”

“You think she’d shoot me?”

Morgan shakes his head. “No, she’s not crazy. She’s not even trigger happy in the field. Going to the gun range is the safest option. Word of advice, do not spar with her when she’s mad.”

“I don’t spar anyway.”

“True.” They get out of the car and head inside. They ride the elevator up and the rest of the team is standing in the bullpen. Rossi is shaking Tara’s hand.

Hotch motions to them as they approach. “This is SSA Derek Morgan and Dr. Spencer Reid. Since you’re here, this is our newest team member Dr. Tara Lewis.” They all shake hands. “We can all get acquainted when Tara starts her first day. It’s late. Everyone go home and get some rest.”

They all part ways, going to their offices to gather their belongings. He removes his vest and sits down at his desk. He picks up the note she left him earlier in the day. He has seen her write once before. Her handwriting is terrible. Well, when she is writing in English anyway. Someone might describe it as chicken scratch. But change the language and it looks like a piece of art. The lines of the hiragana characters are crisp and precise. One book left. That is all he has to do before she’d give him another stack. So, he takes the two post-its he has, both English and Japanese, and puts them in his messenger bag along with his other most prized possessions. He opens the final book and reads. She is right about him having to refer to the other books, but he gets through it. He gets to the last post-it note. Her quiz. He slips that into his bag. He rubs his eyes, he’s exhausted and still has to drive home. He slings his messenger bag around him, gathers her books, and is the last one to leave the office.

He rides the elevator to the ground floor and heads for his car. He pauses after a few steps. He sees a covered vehicle at the back of the lot. She’s still here. He looks at his watch and sees that it is 3 am. He turns and goes back into the building. He walks through the halls on the ground floor until he finds the range. He swipes his plastic id badge to open the door. He can see her through the glass that looks into the range. She has changed out of her SWAT gear, then put her vest back on over her normal clothes. She has also added ear and eye protection. Several used and discarded targets litter the floor behind her. Based on that, and what she said on their date, he knows that she’s a good shot. A great shot. There’s a difference between saying something and actually doing it. Her bragging can definitely be backed up. He places his bag and her books in a locker. He grabs goggles and headphones, using the alcohol wipes to sterilize them. He puts them on before heading into the range.

She raises her gun and fires 6 consecutive shots. She lowers it to look at the target. She sighs. She ejects the cartridge and pulls out the empty magazine. She gathers up the spent shells and drops them into the small box next her. “Hey.”

“You knew I was here?”

“You’re not as quiet as you think you are.”

He comes to stand next to her and leans his shoulder against the partition. “Morgan told me not to ask again. So, I won’t.”

She sighs and sets the safety on her gun before setting it down. She pulls off her googles and headphones and sets them on the counter in front of her. “I can be a little childish when asked too many times if I’m ok. It’s a flaw.”

He removes his protective items and sets them down. “A flaw? Well, guess I finally found one.”

She smiles softly. “You found me out then. I’m not perfect.”

He reaches forward and trials his fingers up her arm bringing them to rest on her shoulder blade. She still hasn’t looked at him and her body still faces the range in front of her. He can’t really feel her in this touch though since her vest is still on. “I know you’re disappointed.”

She nods. “It’s more than that.” She sighs. “I haven’t spoken this out loud before, but… I feel defined by the limited nature of my roles. Tactical and cybercrimes. Either behind a screen or a mindless grunt. I’m either one or the other. And I know that’s oversimplifying both jobs but… The BAU gave me the chance to be both.” She shakes her head. “I can’t do it anymore. Part of me really wants to go to my office right now and pack my shit, wipe my drives, and never come back.”

“And the other parts?”

She glances over at him. “I want to be able to go up a few floors and have lunch with you. Or make myself available as a consultant or an extra gun when you guys do raids.”

“Given any thought about becoming a Supervisory agent? You have the skills to train new agents.” He gestures to the locker room. “Your name is on almost every board out there.”

“You think I should rank up and transfer?”

He nods. “You aren’t happy. I can see that. I’m sure Morgan can see that too. Maybe he could put a good word for you…”

“Where? At the academy? I highly doubt they’d let me teach with very little case experience.” She shrugs him off, slams a full magazine into her gun, and holsters it. She starts picking up the mess she has made. She stops and sighs. She faces him for the first time since he arrived. “I’m sorry. I’m acting like a baby.”

“You did warn me that you didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

“Still. You don’t deserve to have my frustration aimed at you.”

He bends and picks up one of the used target pages. “No, I think this took most of it.”

She chuckles. “I suppose it did.”

“Did this make you feel better at all?”

She shakes her head. “Only in the moment. And then I remember that I have to go back to that desk in the morning.”

“Well, maybe you don’t. Start the process in the morning.”

“To become a SSA?”

He nods. “I’ve seen you in the field with us four times now.”

“Technically, it’s been more than that since I’ve been your tactical support quite a few times, but I will forgive you for not noticing me more than just that once.” He catches a slight upward shift in her lips. Just a hint of a smile.

He continues without remarking on her comment. “Morgan even more so. And Rossi has too. We could all write an endorsement or review or something, see if we can’t help rush the process.”

“I don’t know. I don’t feel like doing much of anything having to do with work right now.”

He places his hands on her arms. “Then go home. Get some rest. Call in sick tomorrow.”

“I feel like that might make things worse.”

“I can ask the rest of the team to write those letters. Rossi has some connections, maybe he can get you on a fast track.”

“Thanks, but I need to put on my big girl pants and just deal with my own problems.”

“The offer stands.” He smirks. “And I might just do it anyway, because I hate seeing you defeated like this.”

She steps forward and wraps her arms around his waist. “I normally don’t let people see me like this. This is an alone, behind closed doors, kind of behavior for me.”

He lifts his head and rest his chin on top of her head. He wraps his arms around her shoulders. “We all need someone we can rely on when we’re at our lowest.”

“I suppose we do.”

“From the sound of it, you don’t have someone like that.”

She sighs. “Not really. I’m not one for showing weakness.”

“This isn’t weakness, Dani. You have a right to be upset and disappointed. You’ve been working towards this for over 5 years. You entered the academy with this goal. I bet if I asked Hotch, he’d say it was the pre-requisites and not your ability to do the job.”

“Which is why I never should have applied.”

“Didn’t he ask you to leave him your file?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, maybe he’s trying to work around it. Find some exceptions. Maybe find more in the budget to get you on the team. I bet you’d help him out a lot by trying to clear up most of the issues.”

“Like what? Going out in the field on my own? Finding my own cases?”

“I wouldn’t say that. But if you’re a SSA well before your 10 year mark and you get your case hours up, then it would be easier for him to ignore your length of tenure.”

She loosens her hold on him and steps back. “It’s a valid point, but I really don’t want to talk about this anymore. Not tonight.”

He nods and lets her go. She finishes picking up her used targets and cartridges. She throws the targets into the recycling bin and places the box of spent shell casings on the counter at a locked cage in the locker room, behind which there would be an agent to issue ammo and weapons. She then swipes her plastic badge to open the secured armory door. Her rank and position must give her access. He watches her log the spent ammo and put the cartridges away. As she leaves the room and secures the door, he puts their protective gear away and retrieves his bag and the books from the locker. He offers her the books. She looks at them as she takes them and then up at him. “You finished?”

“I haven’t taken your quiz yet, but yes.”

“Guess I should prepare the next lesson.” He likes that he sees a small smile spread across her face. “Come on. I’ve gotta go get my stuff from my office and put my vest away.”

He follows her through the halls of the first floor. He wasn’t even aware there were offices on the first floor. The hallway she leads him down isn’t far from the garage where the tactical vehicles are kept and maintained. He thought these were closets based on their size. Used for SWAT gear and such. But the set of larger doors down the hall that is labelled as the SWAT locker room with the door next to it labelled storage tells him otherwise. This one is secured with a keypad and badge swipe. She unlocks it and he follows her in. She goes to her assigned locker and he looks around.

He has never been in the SWAT locker room before. It has access to a garage and each team seems to be assigned a set of lockers. She places her vest inside one, grabs her suit jacket, and turns to face him. She watches him look around. This locker room isn’t shared with others outside SWAT. It is therefore much cleaner. She figures he is picking up on that. “One more stop.”

She leads him to a row of doors not far from the locker room. She swipes her badge to open a door with her name on it. The glow from the screens inside illuminate the small room. It may as well be a walk-in closet. She flips the switch. Most of the room is taken up by a U-shaped desk. Each side with a keyboard and mouse. Each with multiple screens. She hangs the jacket on the back of the door. Then sets the books down, plops into the worn desk chair. She spins in the chair to face him. “Well, this is my cave.”

“I’d say cave is an apt description.”

“The one in cybercrimes was far more depressing. Honestly, I’m hardly ever in here unless I’m assisting them or filing paperwork.” He starts to look around him. “The higher ups have a rule about personal items since this is really an office for my whole squad. It just has my name on the door.” She motions to the small shelf behind him. There are three books on it. None of which seem to have anything to do with hacking. “The thick one being held together with duct tape and super glue was my first book on mythology. I may have stolen it from a library when I was a kid. With all the travel we did, the poor thing didn’t hold up so well. I have another copy now, at home. The middle one is that textbook from Harvard...” His head snaps back to look at her and she chuckles. “Oh right. I neglected to mention that I guess.”

“You’re degrees are from Harvard?”

“I’ve got the pieces of paper in my apartment to prove it.”

“Yes, you may have failed to mention that.”

“To be fair, Harvard is the only school with a degree specific to Folklore and Mythology. A simple internet search would have told you that.”

“Well, I didn’t exactly think to fact check our conversations.” She laughs and he’s happy to see her mood has improved some. He touches the spine of the third book. “This is a worn copy of the book Gideon wrote for the behavioral analysis course.”

“Yep. He gave it to me. It’s even got his notes in the margins.” He pulls it down and carefully flips it open.

“Wow. This is… he was serious about you joining the BAU.”

“Yep, but then I went and botched the placement test. Well… botched is the wrong word.”

“I assuming that’s the rabbit chasing a carrot analogy you gave?”

She chuckles. “Yep. And maybe one day I’ll tell you that story.”

She gets up out of her chair and checks her pockets for everything she needs. Wallet, badge, keys, phones. She takes the book from his hands and puts it back on the shelf. She scoops her books off the desk, motioning for him to go ahead of her. She turns off the light and closes the door behind her. They walk through the dimly lit halls. They stand side by side and are quiet as they walk. He wonders why Gideon didn’t succeed in getting her placed at the BAU. He knows from experience that Gideon usually got what he wanted when it came to recruitment and he had an eye for talent. He’d never just let her get stranded in that place. Then again that was 2010. 3 years after he quit. Maybe he just didn’t have the pull anymore to get her moved. It is impossible to answer those what ifs, but maybe he could make it right by fixing what Gideon could not by getting her into the department she belonged in. They stop at his car since hers is much further away.

“Should I bring the books to your desk in the morning or do you want to me to stop by your apartment in the morning?”

“I’m not coming in until the afternoon unless we get another case. It’s how we do things after a big case. Especially if it’s going to be 4 am or later when we get home.”

She smirks. “Is that why you suggested I call in tomorrow?”

“Maybe partially.”

“Hmm. Well, unlike you, Dr. Profiler, I’ve got to be on standby in case me services are needed.” She sets her books on the roof of his car. She snakes her arms around his waist and tucks her head under his chin. He presses his hands into her back. “Thanks.”

“For?”

“Not letting me wallow too much.”

“You’re welcome.”

“See you later, Spencer.”

She squeezes him and ducks out of his arms. She scoops her books off the car in one continuous motion and speed walks out to her car. He stands outside his car and watches her carefully remove the cover with one hand and, once her door is free, she unlocks it to set the books inside. She then carefully folds the cover and sticks in the car. She waves to him and slides into her car. A few moments later he watches her car burn rubber out of the parking lot.


	6. The Road Less Traveled

When her alarm goes off the next morning, she groans and throws her arm over her eyes. She dreads going to work today. Her phone buzzes and she peeks out to see which screen is illuminated. It’s her personal phone. She reaches over and sees that it is a text from Spencer. She smiles, unlocks the phone, and opens the text.

_Good Morning. I hope I didn’t wake you, but if I’ve figured out your schedule correctly, your alarm has just gone off._

She smiles and rolls onto her back, holding the phone out in front of her. 

_No. You didn’t wake me. The alarm did just go off._

_Glad I got it right then._

_And good morning to you too._

_I want to ask how you’re feeling, but I don’t want to anger you._

_I’m full of dread, but ultimately fine._

_I’m sorry to hear that._

_I’m not psychic, but I feel like seeing you whenever you get in might be the only highlight of my day._

_I’ll let you know when I get to the office then and we can grab lunch or a coffee or something._

_Sounds like a plan._

She places her phone back on the nightstand and considers just rolling over and going back to sleep. The buzzing of her phone stops her. She looks over and it’s her work phone. She snatches it off the nightstand to look at the id. It’s the BAU. She takes a deep breath before answering. “Winchester.”

“Dani, this is Hotch.”

“Uh… good morning, sir.”

“I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“Not at all. That blame lies solely on my alarm clock.”

“Good. I have one question for you.”

“Alright.”

“How serious are you about joining the BAU?”

“Sir, it’s been my goal since I was recruited back in 2010. My entire training at the academy was focused on being the most well-rounded profiler I could be, but ultimately missed my chance at placement. I’ve been trying to get another shot ever since. I’d do almost anything to be on your team, sir”

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

“Sir?”

“I have some… suggestions as to how to get you here sooner rather than later.”

She sits up and ruffles the mess on top of her head that has come free from her ponytail. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Would you be prepared for a PFT today?”

She smirks. “I’m always ready for a PFT.”

“Good. How soon can you get here?”

“Don’t you guys have a half day today?”

He chuckles, “Yes, but I’m making an exception this once.”

“Uh…” She looks down at herself. She needs to shower, but she can make it fast. She’d have time to change for a PFT if needed, but she needs throw her workout clothes in her backpack. “I can be ready to go in roughly 30 minutes. But it would take roughly an hour to get to the office.”

“I will see you in my office at 9.”

“See you there, sir.”

She hangs up and snatches her personal cell off the nightstand. She wants to call Penny, but if they are having a half day, her BFF is definitely still asleep. So, she calls Spencer.

“Hello?”

“Oh my God. I’m freaking out.”

“Well, you sound excited. So, I’m assuming that’s good.”

“Hell yeah it’s good. I’m not sure of the details or anything but receiving an early morning call from Hotch about coming to his office today seems like a good sign.”

He chuckles. “That’s not typically the feeling I get when I get an early morning call from Hotch.”

“Well, he said he had some ideas on how to get me on the team. It sounds like it’s going to be a process, but I’ll be on the right path.”

“That’s great!”

“I’m both excited and nervous.”

“So, Hotch isn’t taking a half day?”

“Nope.”

“Hmm. Want to get coffee?”

She smiles. “I’d love to get coffee with you.”

“We can go to my usual place.”

“Is that your way of asking me to pick you up?”

“Only if you want to.”

“And am I also taking you to work?”

“Well, I’m already up and ready, so… sure.”

“We’re going to work together now?”

“I’m ok with it if you are.”

“I am.”

“Then I’ll see you at my place. I guess call or text when you leave your apartment.”

“Will do. See you soon.”

She hangs up and throws the covers off herself. She practically leaps out of bed to her closet. She quickly prepares herself for what might be round two of disappointment. She shoves a sports bra, leggings, and a FBI academy t-shirt into her backpack. She shoves socks and her sneakers inside it as well. She’ll need to prep her water bottle. She tosses underwear, socks, a bra, a tank top, jeans, her tactical boots, her belt and holster, and the first button up her hands touch, which happens to be a solid deep blue. She strips out of her pjs, tosses them on the bed and quickly showers. She combs her hair and puts it back into a ponytail. She quickly finishes getting ready. She gets her water bottle prepped and loaded. She grabs two travel mugs from the cabinet and places them in a plastic grocery bag with the new stack of books for him. She gathers the rest of her belongings and leaves. Checking salt lines and traps, setting the alarm, locking her door. She sets her bags down next to her car to uncover it. She folds it and unlocks her door. She sticks the cover and both bags in the back seat, puts her phone in the cradle and cues up her master shuffle. She doesn’t really pay attention to what’s playing. She shoots him a text that’s she headed his way after she leaves the parking garage.

He is walking out of his building when she pulls up. She reaches over and unlocks his door. He opens it and slides in. She waits for him to buckle before driving. “Where to?”

He gives her the address. She knows exactly where that place is. Fortunately, it has parking out front. She motions behind her. “The new stack is back there. Along with a little gift.”

“A gift?”

She nods and glances over at him. He looks beat. She reaches over to touch his face, but stops herself. They haven’t gotten that far and she doesn’t want to scare him off. She puts her hand back on the wheel. He reaches back and grabs the plastic bag. “Travel mugs?”

“You stop here every day and travel a long time on the train. Your coffee has to get cold during that time. So, I’m giving you a travel mug.” He pulls out the sleek black metal cup. Hers is more worn, but identical to the one she’s given him. “I’ve washed it if that’s what you’re wondering. But no one ever uses it.”

“Thanks.”

She pulls up outside the crowded coffee shop and parks. He gets out and places a few quarters in the meter. She grabs both of the travel mugs and checks to make sure no one is going to take her door off if she gets out. He stands waiting for her on the sidewalk. She trades a cup for his hand and they walk in together. He orders them both coffee and the barista is all too happy to use their mugs. Dani orders a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast burrito. He does the same. And before she can say anything, he pays. While he waits for their food, she takes the cups to prepare them. Hers is ready to go as is, but he needs sugar. Remembering how many packets he counted out at the diner to go in a normal sized coffee cup, she does a quick little calculation in her head. She pours the sugar in and stirs it with the wooden stir stick. He comes to stand beside her and she offers him the cup. He trades it for a burrito. He goes to put sugar in it.

“Oh. I already did that.”

“You did?”

“Yep. Give it a try.”

He takes a sip and smiles. “Perfect.”

She smirks. “I’m observant. You shouldn’t be surprised.” She hooks his arm and they return to her car. “Also, be careful eating that in my car. I normally have a ‘no open drinks, no food’ rule. But I’ll make an exception. There are no cup holders, so…” She sticks her mug between her thighs. “Yeah.”

“I’ll be careful. Promise.”

She gets the burrito unwrapped halfway, takes a few big bites, before pulling out into traffic. The ride is quiet, save for the music coming from her speakers. Once they have both finished eating, he reaches over to take the trash from her hand. Not knowing where else to put the wrappers, he shoves them into his pocket. Then he slides his hand up her arm and she turns her hand over to take his. They lace their fingers together and bring them to rest in the seat between them. Still they don’t talk. The silence is comfortable, peaceful almost. It’s something they could both get used to. As they near the parking lot, he digs around in his messenger bag. He holds out a plastic card. “Put that up in your front window. That way you can park in my spot.”

“Did you take this out of your car?”

“I sure did.”

She smiles. “Well, go ahead.” He slides it into the corner of the window on the passenger side. She pulls into his spot and they both get out. She is about to set her coffee on the ground when he holds out his hand. She hands it to him and retrieves her backpack and car cover. She makes sure all the doors are locked, before she starts covering it up. Then she remembers the parking pass. “Hmm.”

“What?”

“Can’t cover her up if I want them to see that pass. It’s another reason I park so far away.”

“Because you don’t need one of those?”

“Right.”

She folds the cover back up. “I hate leaving her uncovered.”

“My only suggestion would be to cut a hole in the cover so you can see the card, but the defeats the purpose of a cover.”

She sighs. “Maybe I’m too overprotective of her. The cover sometimes slows me down when I want to make a quick getaway. Not that that happens often.” She unlocks her door and sticks the cover in the back floorboard. “And who knows? Maybe letting her breathe will bring me good luck today.”

“If you believe in that sort of thing.”

She chuckles. “Oh, luck can be a very powerful thing.” She smirks before locking and closing her door. She takes her mug from him and they start walking inside. They hear a loud whistle coming from behind them and they both stop. Morgan has just gotten out of his truck. She looks at Spencer. “He’s not taking a half day either?” Spencer shrugs. “You might as well go in without me. He’s going to want a run down.”

“Run down?”

“On her specs.”

She slings her backpack over shoulder and walks back to her car. Spencer follows along behind her. Before he can even start asking questions, they hear another whistle. It’s Rossi. “Oh, hello beautiful.”

She looks back at him. “This happens more than you’d think.” She twirls the keys around her finger and smiles as she watches them circle the car. 

Rossi goes to touch it and looks back. She nods and his hand traces the car’s curves. “Now _this_ is a classic car.”

Morgan nods. “Looks like it’s got some power.”

She places her hand on her hip. “450 horses.”

Rossi peers into the window. “Is that the original dash?”

“For the most part. The radio has been updated, but that’s about it. Those are the factory bench seats.” She hands her mug off to Spencer and sets her backpack down. She unlocks and opens the door. “Go ahead. Have a seat.”

He lights up like a Christmas tree. He slides behind the wheel. Morgan taps the passenger window and Rossi leans over to unlock the door. A long slow whistle sounds again. She turns and sees Tara coming towards them across the parking lot. “That is a gorgeous car.”

She smirks. “1970 Chevy Chevelle SS LS6. Factory colors and interior. Except for the radio. I call her Roxy.”

“Did you inherit her or did you restore her?”

“Oh, I restored her.”

Rossi slides out the car. “Can you start her up?”

“Sure.” She sits down and starts the car. It purrs. She slides back out and walks around to the front of the cowled hood then pulls the pins to raise it. Rossi comes around to take a look. “I like to keep her clean.”

He pats her on the back. “I would love to take her for a spin.”

“Well, you can ride. I’m her only driver, but not today unfortunately. It sounds like I’ve got a full schedule.”

She reaches into the car to turn it off. Morgan slides out, locks the door, and gently but firmly closes the door. “Let me know when that happens. I’ve waited years to see this car without the cover on it.”

“We’ll make an event of it.” She locks and closes her door before shoving her keys in her pocket. Spencer offers her the mug. She takes it and snags her bag off the ground. They all start walking inside together. Once in the elevator, the butterflies really start going. Her life could change today. She might not be where she really wants to be, but she’ll be on her way and out of that cave. Hotch is waiting for her when the elevator doors open. She immediately goes to him. Spencer nods as he passes her going into the bullpen. 

Hotch motions for her to walk ahead of him. “I want to make something very clear, Dani. I don’t often make exceptions. That was more Gideon’s style. And while I agree with the exceptions made for Reid, I’m not one to stir the pot that way. It’s a power move that draws a lot of attention. Attention that could reflect poorly on the team.”

“I understand, sir.”

He sits at his desk and motions for her to close the door. “That being said, I think it’s clear given the hoops we’re about to jump through today, that I want you on this team. One day. It’s not going to be very soon. But if everything works out today, then you’ll at least have a fighting chance next time.”

She sits in the chair in front of him. “Again. Thank you, sir. I’m not sure I can say that enough.”

“You joining this team meant a lot to Gideon. I’m not sure you’re aware that you had an endorsement on file from him, but it’s because of how well you work with us and his letter, that I’m willing to go down this road if you are.”

“I’m not even sure what this road… he wrote an endorsement? When?”

He picks up a file folder from the desk and offers it to her. She takes it and opens it. There is a letter written to Hotch on official letterhead by Gideon. “Before you entered the Academy. July 2010. It looks to be dated before you even applied, guess he had a good feeling about your chances. He even made a secret trip here to do it apparently. He put it in the system and no one ever saw it until you applied. It’s been in your file this whole time.”

“Wow. I wasn’t aware he’d done that.”

“And I wasn’t aware you knew him.”

“He’s the whole reason I’m even in the FBI. He recruited me. Obviously. Convinced me to go to the academy. We sort of gradually fell out of contact after my placement.”

He nods. “Well, he sings your praises in that letter. I’ll let you read it, but I want to save it. I’ll explain why later.” He pats another file folder. “I’m keeping the file you provided to me, but I have made a copy of it. You’re going to need it for your SSA application. I will be including copies of the reports filed by Agents Morgan, Reid, and Rossi regarding the field ops yesterday.”

“Wow. That’s fast. I thought becoming a SSA took a year?”

“Normally it does, but you’ve already taken the required courses and working those two cases with us qualifies you. You just need to test for them. Honestly, this is one of two major hurdles for today. Testing requires a PFT and written work. But there’s an order to the way things need to be done and that all depends on how you want to play this. I’ve come up with two options.”

“What are those options?”

“The first has a lot of steps, but is probably the easiest since we won’t have to really deal with your Unit Chief. Word is he is… difficult.”

“You have no idea.”

“So, since you’ve already applied to the BAU, you’ve technically already applied for a transfer here. Which means your Unit Chief has already approved it. Now, I’d have to transfer you as a lower ranking agent, but you’d be here, at least temporarily. We could stop there but my concern with that is that junior agents have 0% success rate of joining the team and typically transfer to another department to advance their careers. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I have a feeling that isn’t what you’d want.”

“You’d be correct.”

“But it gets you here, makes me your boss, and makes the rest of this process much less painful.”

“Which is?”

“You become a Supervisory Special Agent. Then I’d recommend you transfer to UCR for further training and fieldwork. There may also be opportunities for teaching as Morgan informs me you could school him in a thing or two regarding infiltration.”

“UCR?”

“Undercover Resources. It’s not called that officially, but it is a program for agents from various backgrounds and training levels to do undercover work. Every department in the Bureau pulls from this, thus it being called ‘resources.’ You have the pre-recs to join already, since you’ve had a small amount of UC training and experience.”

“Very small. Minimal even.”

“Now, you can do this without joining the BAU. There are pros and cons for both.”

“So, the second option is to go become a SSA to become equal rank as my boss and apply to UCR on my own?”

“Right.”

“How does that impact my work for UCR?”

“If you go in as a member of the BAU, you’ll likely get more related assignments. If you go in as a former member of Cybercrimes, you’re hacking prowess will likely be used more. They will not ignore that history regardless of how you get there. More than that I can’t say. For obvious reasons, UCR’s operations are not widely known.”

“Thinking of the future here, the main goal in all this, having a more specialized training in undercover profiling would be very useful. I’d get more practice at it and experience is one of the goals here.”

“Right.”

“Thinking out loud here, I want… need to gain case/field experience as fast as I can. Within reason, of course. Safety is important and injuries delay the process. I’ve always prided myself on being a jack of all trades, I feel like that’s important to this department. It’s why everyone on the team is so different. Maybe not on purpose, but the fact remains. I’m also one for breaking statistics. Both of those things got me out of Cybercrimes for good and the less I have to deal with computers the better.”

“Sounds like your leaning towards going the BAU route?”

“I think so.”

He nods. “I only see one obstacle. And it’s more to do with me than you. You are overqualified for the entry level position I have open. I need to convince Cruz that it’s not a waste time since it’s just a way to get you into UCR.”

“What do I need to do then?”

“I need you to prep for your testing. I need to draw up all the paperwork we’re going to need, but once that is done, the day is going to be busy and move along quickly for you.”

“I’ll go study then.”

“I’ll text you when I need you.”

She stands and heads for the door. She stops with her hand on the knob and turns back to him. “Thanks again for this.”

“You’re welcome. And it’s mostly selfish I assure you.”

They exchange smiles. She opens his door and heads out of his office. She takes a small detour along the railing instead of going down the stairs. Rossi’s door is open and she knows the easiest way to study is talk to the man who wrote the books. But then she sees Spencer and is sidetracked. He has one of her books open. She goes down the stairs and places her hands on the back of his chair. “How’s it going?”

He leans back in his chair and looks up at her. It has recently come to his attention that his chest tightens a little when he sees her. It’s not panic, more so that it feels like his heart is swelling to take up more room in his chest. He knows it’s not that, the body doesn’t work that way. But looking at her makes his heart happy. His pulse increases which is a response he’d expect from seeing someone he’s attracted to. “Good.” He reaches forward and holds up her sticky note. Not once looking away from her face. “Wanna grade my quiz?”

The smile on her face spreads as she takes the note. He has written underneath the lines of Japanese, translating what she wrote. She nods. “Perfect. As expected.”

“Is katakana supposed to be easier?”

“It is the simplest of the three in my personal experience. It’s mostly imports from other languages. Technology, terms originating in English that don’t already have a translation, that kind of thing. Knowing as many languages as you do will make this one fly by. I wouldn’t be surprised if you were done by lunch.” She reaches forward and grabs the last book in the stack. “Which is why I included this one. Don’t freak out if you can’t read all of it, because there is a little bit on kanji in it. Not much, but enough to make certain passages impossible. By in large though, you should be able to handle 90% of it.”

He nods. She reaches forward and places the book back on his desk. His fingers trail up and down the inside of her forearm causing her to linger in that position. When she straightens, he spins his chair to face her. “So, what did Hotch have to say?”

“I’m not sure I want to say just yet. It all sounds too good to be true right now, so until it’s final, I’ll probably keep all this to myself.”

“Hmm. Not sure I like that.”

She chuckles. “Well, tough. Because I don’t want to jinx it.”

He looks around before scooting towards her and placing his hand on her knee. His thumb caresses the top of her knee. “You’ve been very guarded lately.”

“That’s not true.”

“Last night and this secrecy regarding your meeting with Hotch says otherwise.”

She looks down at his hand, watching his thumb move along the top of her knee. “I’m not purposefully keeping things from you, Spence. I just... Sometimes my anger gets the best of me. You got a taste of that last night. I know that the anger is just a coping mechanism to cover other emotions. I said I don’t like to show weakness and I get mad when I do. Therefore, if I don’t tell you want Hotch said, or what my plans are for today…”

“Hang on.”

“What?”

“If I’m remembering our phone call this morning correctly…”

“And of course, you are.”

He smiles. “Then this has something to do with you getting on the team.”

“Eventually.”

She watches his hand snake around and settle half on the back of her knee, half on the back of her thigh. “So, instead of giving into the hope as you had yesterday, you’re trying to be more reserved.”

“Pretty much.”

“Well, whatever he has you doing today, you can do it.”

His middle finger caresses the crease in her knee. She chuckles and shakes her head. “You’re getting a little bolder with your touches, Dr. Reid.”

His finger stills. “Are you ok with that?”

“Very.” He blushes and turns back to his desk. She steps forward and places her hands on his shoulders. He looks up at her. She smiles. “I’ll see you later.”

He smiles. “Ok.” She gives his shoulders a squeeze and heads for the elevator. She rides it down and walks briskly to her office. She nods to men she knows. Other members of SWAT, a few guys from her team as well. She can tell that one of them is her Unit Chief. He has no doubt gotten the transfer request by now, and she wants to avoid that awkward interaction. She walks a little faster. And as she swipes to get into her office, she hears her name.

“Winchester!”

She closes the door. If Hotch is successful, which she has very little doubt that he won’t be, then she needs to be ready to close down the side operations she does in this office. The open freelance cases she is doing on the side for Cybercrimes. She needs to prep those open cases for transfer to another agent. It’s actually pretty good timing case load wise. She only has a few open, mostly hacking attempts on the Bureau and a handful of trafficking websites that she’s been trying to locate the head of the snake on. It doesn’t take her long to get those ready. The lengthier process is going to be freeing up her system for someone else to use while disabling her customized programs and protocols. Then once it is all said and done, she will have to turn in her SWAT gear and clean out her locker.

There is a loud knock on her door and she sighs. She gets up and throws it open. Her boss is standing there with his hands on his hips. “Can I help you?”

“I called for you in the hall.”

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you. I’ve got important business to deal with.”

“You’re late.”

“Not late, sir. Just doing some house keeping things before my transfer.”

“Transfer? I was told you didn’t get that opening.”

“I didn’t. I’m taking a different position upstairs.”

“Well, I need you in my office. We need to discuss your ops for today.”

“Sorry, sir. You’ll have to find someone else to spearhead any ops. I’ve got to prep my system.”

“For what?”

“Well, as you know, I do work on the side for cybercrime.” He nods. “So, my computer has a lot of security measures in place, and once I’m gone someone might need to use it to do their reports. If they aren’t removed, then the system will fry and all the data will be lost. I.A. won’t like that very much.”

He nods. “Well, I’m sorry to hear you’re leaving. You’re a great agent.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He holds out his hand. “I know I’ve given you a hard time, but that’s only because I know you’ve got what it takes. You’re my best agent.” She takes his hand and shakes it. “Just don’t tell the boys outside.”

She chuckles. “I won’t, sir.”

He smiles. “Hell, it’ll be nice to have a few more people in that unit who understand what we do. I worry about the skinny one.”

“Dr. Reid?”

“Yeah. That kid doesn’t look like he even knows how to use his weapon.”

She smirks and chokes down the pun threatening to escape. “Oh, I’m sure he does just fine. They wouldn’t let him carry one otherwise.”

He nods. “Well, good luck. You’ll always have a spot down here with us grunts if it doesn’t work out with the big shots.”

“Thanks.” He leaves her office and she quickly closes the door to continue working. The whole exchange feels out of body. She thought he hated her. That she was a computer nerd trying to be a hard ass. Guess that was just his way of making sure she stayed on top of her game. She shakes it off to focus on her coding.

Once she’s done releasing her strangle hold on her system, she shuts the computers down and gets up out of her chair. She grabs her personal items, the books and ready bag. She packs the books inside the bag. She grabs her suit jacket off the back of the door and shoves it in her go bag too. Nothing in this office belongs to her now. It is all Bureau property. She takes both her bags into the hallway. She considers not closing the door since she’s not in charge of door access and if she’s closes it she’ll have to come back here to let someone in. Though if they know she’s leaving, someone will likely get assigned to that office quickly. She pulls it closed and swipes the plastic name card from the door. It’s her name after all. 

She smiles as she struts back towards the elevator. As she rides up to the sixth floor, it occurs to her that the hardest part of all this will be saying goodbye to her guys. She shakes her head as the doors open and walks to Spencer’s desk. “Hey!”

“Hey. You’re back.”

“Yep. Just went down to clear out my office.”

“That explains the bags.” He picks up her travel mug and offers it to her. “You left this on my desk. I took the liberty of refreshing it for you.”

She smiles and takes it from him. “Thanks.”

It’s only been 6 days since they’ve met, at least officially, but she feels like he gets her more than anyone else. Penny might have brought her coffee too, but she’d likely be hounded by a ton of questions about her meeting and why she just cleaned out her office. He doesn’t do that. He just gives her that goofy smile and turns back to his desk. Since he seems to be focused on the books she gave him, she can only assume that he’s still taking his half day even though he’s in the office.

“Winchester.”

She looks up and Hotch is waving her over from the doorway of his office. Spencer doesn’t look up when he speaks to her. “Good luck with whatever that’s about.”

She shakes her head. “You’ve already deduced what it’s about.”

“True, but now I’ve got verbal confirmation.”

She rolls her eyes and lugs her bags and coffee up the stairs. Hotch closes the door behind her. “Looks like you’ve moved out of your office.”

She nods. “And if anyone asks you, you can tell them that I’ve also prepped my system and open cases for transfer to someone else.”

“Preemptive. I like it.”

“Any news?”

“Yes, actually. Cruz really liked my plan. He thinks it’s clever and he likes the idea of the next member of the team being promoted from within.”

“So, it’s official?”

“Not yet. Just waiting on the paperwork to come back.”

He gets a notification on his computer. He turns his desk chair to face it. She is dumb founded as the realization starts to set in. If this works, she will technically be an agent with the BAU. Not that it’ll stay that way long, but for a few glorious hours, it’ll be official. Which she imagines will make it easier to come back as a part of the main team. She feels a little dumb for not having thought to try to go the junior agent route sooner. She blew those pre-requisites out of the water.

He turns back to face her. “The request has been approved. Welcome to the BAU.”

She has to fight to contain the girlish giggling that threatens to surface. “Thank you, sir.”

“Now, do you know where to go for your testing?”

“Yes, sir.” He stands and offers his hand. She shakes it.

“Good luck then. They are expecting you.”

“Thank you, sir. Thank you so much.”

“Give ‘em hell.”

She smiles brightly, scoops her bags up from his floor, snags her travel mug, and hurries from his office. She goes directly to Spencer’s desk. He scoots back when he sees her coming. “Good news?”

“Very. I’ll tell you all about it later. Penny will be pissed is she’s not first.”

He chuckles. “Ok. Think you’ve got time for lunch today?”

She looks at her watch. “Honestly? I don’t know. The PFT will take a large chunk of time. Not to mention whatever firearms they want to test me on. Plus running the infiltration course. And the written exams, which I haven’t studied for so fingers crossed.”

“That’s a lot of testing.”

“Testing which you should be familiar with.”

“Not all of it.”

“Meaning?”

“I never took the PFT. I did so horribly in all physical aspects that a lot of exceptions had to be made to get me here. I did do the firearms qualification… a few times. Each year. But now I can do it the first try.”

“And I’m sure you were required to do the infiltration test.”

“Yeah. But I never scored very high. Just enough to pass. It’s why I never went first when I started. But things change with experience and I do much better now. I bet you never had that problem.”

“What problem?”

“Not being able to excel physically.”

She smirks. “Nope. Never.”

“Then you’ll do great.”

“I’ll text you when I know something. Then maybe we can grab something.”

He shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve got a lot on your plate today. Focus on that.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Just keep me posted.”

“I will.” She smiles and hurries off to Penny’s office. She knocks and the door flies open.

“Is it true?”

“Is what true?”

“That you’re leaving tactical.”

“Technically, I’ve _left_ tactical.”

“To go where?”

She motions for Penny to go back into her office. Once the door closes and Penny is back in her chair she says, “I’ve got testing later.”

Her friend swivels her chair to face her. “Testing?”

“To become a Supervisory…”

“Oh my God! That’s fantastic!”

“Yeah, it is, but here’s the even better news.” She leans around Penny and brings up her digital personnel file. “Hopefully it’s been updated, this literally just happened.”

She steps back to let Penny slide in. She gasps, claps, and practically squeals. “Dani! That’s great! We’re co-workers!”

“For the next few hours at least. I wasn’t going to tell anyone, but…”

“I’m special. This is so great!”

“I know! I had to make this pit stop to tell you the good news.”

“I’m so glad you did.”

“I’ve gotta run. Heh. Literally.”

“Bye! Congrats!”

“Save it for when it can be officially official!” She waves and goes to the elevator. She may as well be jogging through the building she’s so damn happy. She slings the backpack properly on to her back, so she can easily manage her ready bag and coffee mug. She feels a little homeless right now, carrying all of her things around. But she doesn’t really have time to stop.

Her day till lunch goes by like a cheesy movie montage. Think the training scenes from _Dirty Dancing_ , any _Rocky_ movie, or even _Mulan_ with a touch of the studying montage from _Legally Blonde_ or some movie with a montage showing students studying for some kind of academic competition. Written exams are first and she considers herself very lucky to have an eidetic memory. It’s been a little over 5 years since she’s even touched some of these books. Then it’s off to take her Physical Fitness Test, and she makes it a point that she wants to be graded on the men’s scale because she knows she’s going to blow the female scores out of the water. The double standards that women can’t perform feats of endurance as well as a man is infuriating and it is usually her goal to crush it. Then firearms qualification for several different types of firearms.

She has to give her father some credit because he was insistent that his children stay physically fit. It’s probably the only reason a girl with two nerdy degrees could excel at the physical aspects of the job so easily. It’s also why she took this test voluntarily while in Cybercrimes, since it’s not a requirement, then twice a year when it is only required once a year for tactical, just to make sure she is still up to snuff.

During the 1.5 mile run portion of her PFT, her mind wanders. She never allowed herself to really process all the little touches he’s been experimenting with. She’s not sure the purpose of this experimentation, maybe he’s building up to something? But at this stage who could say what that something could be. Maybe he’s trying to figure out how public he wants to be? She imagines she’s going to need to inform Hotch about their progressing relationship. He is their boss and there are rules. Rules she has just had to answer questions about on that written exam. They’d need to talk more in depth now that she is officially in the same unit.

She gets a break for lunch and is informed that she will have an interview with UCR as well as some sparring to see where she’s at combat wise. She is also told at this time that they won’t have the results of her SSA exam until Monday. It’s a little disappointing, but it’s at least progress. She takes this opportunity to shower in the SWAT locker room and change back into her regular work clothes. She also takes this time to clean out her SWAT locker. She’s not sure when she is going to see her guys, so she makes a mental note to write them letters or something before her badge no longer gets her in the door.

After turning in her SWAT gear, she goes to the regular lady’s locker room. She hangs the workout clothes in one to air out so that they are dry when she goes to change back into them. She sits on a bench and pulls out her personal cell. She shots off a text.

_Hey. I do in fact get lunch. And I’m starved._

She shakes out her drying hair while she waits. Her phone buzzes.

_Great!_

_The only problem is I’ve already gotten a ride with Morgan to get something._

_I could order something for you and bring it back._

_Oh. Don’t worry about it. I’ll find something to eat._

Her phone rings then. She doesn’t even get a greeting out before he launches in. “Will you just let me buy you lunch?”

“You don’t even know what I want.”

“I bet I could figure it out. And I know for a fact whatever I bring back is going to be better than the crap they have at the cafeteria.”

“True.”

“So…?”

“Oh alright. Twist my arm.”

“Great. Meet you in the conference room in 15.”

He hangs up and she shakes her head. He is definitely in a good mood. But why the conference room? That seems fishy. She runs the brush through her hair and puts it up in a ponytail. She makes sure her belongings are secured in a locker before heading up there early. Part of her is expecting a surprise party of some sort. But the bullpen is calm when she walks through the glass doors. It’s actually pretty empty, which is probably due to it being lunch time. She checks her watch. She has to be back and ready to go by 1:30. It’s a little after 12 now. Which actually gives her more time for lunch than she expected. She shrugs and decides to just wait in the conference room. It’s not like she had a desk she could wait at. There is his desk, but that seems weird.

She wanders around the conference room, just taking in her surroundings. She didn’t get a chance to really take it in the last time she was here. Looking at the books on the shelves, she has to guess that this has largely been complied by Spencer. If she had to venture a guess, of course. Some of them are directly related to profiling, but some are more obscure. Pregnancy books, which seems a little out of place, but she bets it has something to do with two teammate pregnancies. Novels from several different genres. Several books of poetry. There are books on almost every subject under the sun. Not as much as one might find in a library, but enough to get you started on a particular subject. The books that seem to have any sort of organization at all are the books published by current or former members of the team, largely the founders Gideon and Rossi. She’s read them of course, because who better to learn from than the men who practically created profiling, at least as it is known now.

She pulls down a book on Native American Folklore and sits at the table. She leans back in the chair and kicks her feet up on the table. She reads for a little while before shaking her head. This book is a load of horse crap. Clearly written by some white wannabe anthropologist looking to make a name for himself. She snaps the book closed just as Spencer and Morgan walk into the conference room. Morgan sniggers. “Not a fan?”

“This thing is _way_ off the mark. I sincerely hope you did quote it on a case.” She gets up and returns it to the shelf. She sees Morgan smirk as he sets his bags down. That would be a yes. She raises an eyebrow at Spencer and he shrugs. “Oh God. You didn’t.”

He sets down the bag he is holding. “In my defense, how was I supposed to know when I purchased it?”

She pulls it back off the self and shows him the back cover. A stuffy looking white man in a sweater with elbow patches stoically looks out at them. “The fact that this white dude is claiming to be the authority of indigenous peoples. Like all of them.”

“I know that _now_. We were kind of in a hurry when we were headed for the airport.”

She puts the book back and skips up to the table. “Smells good. Whatcha get me?”

They start digging through the bags and reading to tops of boxes. This is definitely food for more than three people. Spencer offers her a box and then puts a little white bag on top of it. She sits back down and takes a peek inside the little bag. “I hope I read you right.”

She smirks. “Or asked Penny want I’d want from Phan’s.”

“Phan’s?”

“Oh. Uh… that’s probably not the name of the restaurant… Phan is the owner.”

“You know the owner?”

She nods as she pulls out one of the fried puffy triangles from inside the white bag. She breaks it in half and looks at the gooey white stuffing. “He’s the only one in the area who makes Cream Cheese Crab Rangoons like this.” She then sucks the filling out of it before eating the fried exterior. The moan that follows and the act itself seem vaguely erotic to him. He sits beside her as Morgan tosses her a can of coke. She catches it one handed while repeating the same action with the other half. She sets the coke down to let it settle from the shaking that no doubt occurring during the flight and landing. Spencer begins to unwrap and open his own box. His coke already sitting beside it. She scoots a little closer to him and peers over his arm. “What did you get?”

“Chicken Chow Mein.”

She nods. “Excellent choice.” She watches him open the box and then unwrap the plastic fork. She smirks. Morgan offers her a pair of chopsticks and a napkin. She takes it but continues looking at Reid.

His ears turn red when he finally notices. “What?”

“I see you’ve selected a fork.”

“I can’t use chopsticks.”

She smirks, leans her elbow on the table, and rests her chin in her hand. “I can help you with that.”

“Many have tried and failed to teach me, but you are welcome to try.”

Penny comes in the room and Morgan pulls out the chair beside him. “Welcome to try what?”

Morgan smirks. “Dani just offered to help Reid with chopsticks.”

She laughs as she sits down. He hangs his head a little. Clearly he’s been teased about this before. She pats his knee under the table and he instantly looks at her. She leans in a little closer and whispers. “Don’t worry about them. I’m an excellent teacher.” She smirks and resumes her meal prep. She unwraps the box and opens it. Sesame Chicken, Teriyaki Grilled Chicken, and fried rice. Normally she’d been perfectly happy with that but seeing his Chow Mein makes her want some. She watches Morgan and Penelope fall into some conversation, meaning they are in their own world. She quickly reaches over and snags at stray noodle between her fingers. His eyes widen and follow it from his box to her mouth. She dangles it over her open mouth and drops it in. He then looks back at his meal. If anyone else had done that, he’d have been hesitant to resume eating. But he knows she purposefully grabbed a noodle where she wasn’t going to touch the others. So, he just twirls some around his fork.

Seconds later Hotch and Rossi come into the conference room. She’s still sucking the noodle into her mouth and quickly slurps it in before they can see it. They sit down and Morgan reaches forward to offer them their boxes of food. Hotch nods towards Dani as he unwraps his box and chopsticks. “So, how’s it been going today?”

“Great. I won’t get my scores for the SSA exams until Monday, but I aimed for perfection. So, I have no doubt I passed. PFT was a breeze as usual. And I know I’ve passed all the firearm exams I just took with flying colors.”

“All?”

“It was more than just the basic. I’m sure that has everything to do with the department than becoming a SSA.”

“You’re probably right.”

Spencer looks over at her and smiles. “Any carrots this time?”

She smirks. “Yes, actually. But I resisted.”

“That’s good.”

Hotch chuckles. “Is that code for they gave you something to hack and you didn’t this time?”

“Now Chief, you know I’m not allowed to talk about that.”

Rossi leans forward. “Chief?”

Hotch nods. “Oh. I forgot to mention. I hired SA Winchester this morning as a junior agent.”

Morgan looks her dead in the eye. “And you didn’t tell me?” Spencer lets his hand fall into his lap and then moves it to her knee. She tries not to acknowledge the touch in front of the others as Morgan continues. “Yeah, I thought we were friends.”

Penny snorts a little, but quickly clears her throat and pats her chest. “Sorry. Some rice went down the wrong way. But why didn’t you tell anybody?”

“We didn’t want to count our chickens.”

Hotch nods. “But now that the paperwork has been officially completed, it’s safe to talk about.”

“Right. Plus, I’m not exactly going to be in this office for a while.”

Morgan leans back in his chair, casually eating as he talks. “Why’s that?”

She looks to Hotch. He nods. “Well, she has to be accepted first. I’m assuming that’s what you’ll be doing after lunch?” She nods. “But if… when she gets accepted, she’ll be stationed with UCR.”

Rossi nods. “That’ll put her on the fast track field and case hours wise.”

“That’s the idea. And while she does that, I’ve gotta figure out how to get her back and then on the team.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard. But you know they’ll look at her being here already as a lateral move. And they hate lateral moves. It’s all about agents getting better and the good ones moving up.”

She nods. “Plus, the curse. But curses can be broken.”

“You’d be a first that’s for sure.”

She smirks at Morgan. “I’m always up for a challenge.”

They share a laugh and the group settle into a more relaxed conversation. It does not escape her attention that his hand is still on her knee. His index finger drawing little circles in the divot. She wonders why that is? Why all this talk about her future with the department has inspired potentially public touching? Not that she’s complaining exactly. It’s actually quite nice, but risky.

As they chat and eat, she keeps eyeing the noodles in front of him. With an increased number of witnesses, the chances of her snagging another unnoticed are very low. He would have to assist somehow, but even that would be suspicious. She sighs and resigns herself to eat her own food. Knowing that she has combat testing and interviews coming up, she opts not to eat as much as she normally would. Something that is not lost on two people at the table.

Penny leans forward as Dani closes the half-eaten box. “Are you feeling ok?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“You have leftovers.”

“Well, yeah. I just don’t think it’s a very good idea to go into a sparring session, potentially several, while in a food coma.”

“Oh. Good point.”

She scoffs. “Do I want to eat all this? You bet your ass. Do I want to eat all this and whatever is left of Reid’s noodles? Yup. Is that the smart play? Not by a long shot.”

He glances over at her and she winks at him. He blushes slightly and turns his attention back to his food. She checks her watch and then pats his hand on her knee. “Speaking of sparring, I’d better head back downstairs.”

Penny smiles brightly. “Good luck!”

Morgan scoffs. “She won’t need it. Do you know who you’re going against?”

“No idea.”

He holds his fist out to her, “You got this.”

She hits her fist against his. “I wouldn’t bet against me today.”

He smiles. Spencer gives her knee and squeeze before sliding it off. She pushes her container towards Penelope. “Throw that in the fridge for me?” Her friend nods. Dani stands and waves to them as she heads out the door. The conference room is quiet for some time before Hotch breaks the silence.

“So, how long has that been going on?”

They all look at Spencer. When no one answers, he looks up from pushing noodles around. “What?”

“You and Winchester. How long has that been going on?”

He scratches the back of his head. “Depends on your definition.”

“How long have you too been seeing each other?”

“Is pleading the 5th an option?”

Hotch actually chuckles, which surprises him since he thought keeping their relationship a secret from him would make him angry. “You aren’t in trouble. It’s just something I need to know. We can’t look out for our own if we don’t have all the information.”

Spencer looks down at his food. He trusts these people with his life. They’ve been with him through some of the hardest times in his life. If anyone has his best interest at heart, it’s them. “Sunday.”

Rossi laughs. “Really? Only since Sunday? You’re moving pretty quickly if you’re already letting her share food.”

He looks up at Rossi with confusion. He wasn’t even there when she stole one noodle. Rossi looks at Morgan which makes Spencer shift his focus. Morgan simply wiggles his eyebrows at him. “Wow. Derek, I thought we were friends.” He resumes eating to try to cover his embarrassment. He hates being the center of attention like this and they all know it.

“We are, kid. I didn’t even mention what Garcia saw under the table.”

Spencer chokes on a piece of chicken and they all laugh. He coughs. “Oh, yeah. Laugh it up. Won’t be so funny when I asphyxiate on Chinese food.”

Hotch smiles as he gathers his food trash. “I hope it works out for you. Not only do you deserve some happiness, but if it doesn’t things could get very awkward around here.”

The comment and movement signify an end to lunch and they all start gathering their food trash and leftovers. He hands his to Penelope. She takes the box, but raises an eyebrow. “She wanted my noodles.” She smiles and presses her lips together to keep from making a teasing remark. She can tell he has had enough for one day. She stacks the foam containers and heads for the break room through the side door. He takes this chance to escape to his desk and the Japanese lesson that is waiting for him.

***

She is sitting in a room with gym mats on the floor slowly peeling the tape wrapped around her hands and wrists. She knows she will be feeling this later and she can already feel bruises forming all over her body. Her goal was achieved though. She won. She will be sore tomorrow, but it doesn’t matter. She couldn’t be happier. Her opponents were tough, but ultimately, she was tougher.

An older gentleman with a clip board comes over to her. He holds out an icepack. She takes it from him and presses it against her lip. She winces. “Thanks.”

“You fought well. We’re honestly surprised you didn’t tap out.”

“I’m a fighter and I don’t quit. That’s probably not in my file.”

“It’s not, but it’s good to know.” He sits in the chair next to her. “I’ve honestly got nothing to teach you. And I’m a little at a loss. No one has ever made it more than a few rounds, much less made my guys tap out.”

She smirks. “I could do this all day.”

He chuckles. “Well, Captain America, I won’t have to worry about you then.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

“You passed. With flying colors. Welcome to UCR.”

“Wait. This was my interview?”

“You knew it was a test.”

“Yeah. To see where my hand to hand was. Not my qualifications for undercover work.”

“It’s part of it. But I’ve done my homework on you. Everything I’ve seen makes you perfect for this. Plus, one of my guys worked with you on that cybercrimes task force a few years back and he spoke highly of you.”

“Which one?”

“Bakersfield.”

“Ah.”

“Hell, as soon as I got the request from the BAU to place one of their agents in UCR, I had already decided you were in. We never get people from your department.”

“So, the interview process is a trial by combat?”

He laughs. “Well, no. It’s less about the fight and more about how you handle yourself. Even if you had lost the actual fight, it’s more about how you behave under pressure.”

She sits back in the chair and sets the icepack on her knee. “So… what’s the next step?”

“Get you trained in protocols, refreshers in behavioral analysis, then we get you an assignment. Since your Unit Chief is really just looking to get you case hours, you’ll likely be focused on longer term ops. Or being undercover for only short periods of time but in rapid succession.”

“When do we start?”

“The day is almost over. So, I’ll get someone to show you to our offices. You can get your desk situated and then call it. I will see you first thing Monday.” He stands up and she follows suit. She shakes his hand. And watches him leave. Once the door closes, she is alone. She drops back down into the chair and lets the pain she’s been hiding really show. She’s glad it’s the weekend. Otherwise she’d have to continue to downplay her soreness. Most of the bruises are superficial and it’s more that she hasn’t fought like that in a long time that’s causing her pain. Couple of Advil and a hot bath then she will be fine. Probably won’t even be able to tell by Monday. Her lip might be a little swollen now, but it is also superficial.

She stands and stretches. Her protesting muscles let her know that she will probably need to get a massage or something to work out some of the stiffness. She touches the icepack to her face and heads for the locker room.

She enjoys a hot shower and changes back into her regular clothes. She heads towards the elevator and finds one of the guys she sparred with waiting for her. He’s leaning against the wall next to the doors with an icepack on his eye. She hisses when he lowers it. “Ouch. Sorry. Didn’t realize I got you that hard.”

He chuckles. “You didn’t.” He points to his cheek where a small purple bruise is growing. “This one was you. The eye was Mathews. His kick hit me when you dodged it.” He hits the up button beside him. “I’m Summers, by the way.”

“Winchester.”

“Where’d you learn to fight like that, Winchester?”

The doors open and they step in. “The academy. And my family. Two older brothers and a Marine father will do that.”

“Lots of self-defense training then?” He pushes the button for the 3rd floor.

“Yeah. He wanted us to be prepared for anything.”

“I bet. Marines are like that.”

“You say that like someone who spent time in a different branch.”

“Guilty. I was an Army Ranger before all this.”

“Nice. I didn’t go that route.”

“Which route did you go?”

“The Harvard one.”

He laughs. “You’re a strange one, Winchester.”

She shrugs. “We’ve all got our hobbies.”

“True enough.” She follows him through the very bureaucratic looking desks.

“This is not what I expected.”

“Hey. We’re supposed to look white collar, right?” She follows him across the floor and down a hallway. He swipes his badge next to a door and when he opens it, she sees more of what she was expecting. There aren’t many people around, but the desks are less cut off from each other. It’s set up more like the BAU bullpen than anything else. He waves to the other guy from her sparring match. He looks completely different in a suit. Though the swollen jaw and knuckles sort of give him away.

“So, is it safe to assume that I should start wearing a suit to blend with the people on the main floor?”

“Nah. You’re a hacker, right?”

“Right.”

“Well, it would make sense for you to stick out a little since Bureau hackers typically have a history that’s not so strait-laced.” He stops at an empty desk. “This is you. I think the boss is putting in a request to get your system from your old office up here.”

“Then I’m going to need a bigger desk. Unless I downgrade it a little bit.”

“I would. You won’t be at your desk much once you start getting assignments.”

“Cool.”

He claps and backs away. “Great. See you Monday.”

“Again. Sorry about the cheek.”

He smiles. “Sorry about your lip.” He turns on his heel and goes back out the door. She sits at her new desk. She sets her books out on the desk and slides her ready bag under it. It’s really all she has to do. She hangs her suit jacket on the back of her chair and scoops up her backpack to take home with her. Since her day is over, she supposes she should go upstairs to get her food and tell Hotch that their plan is successful thus far.

She walks through the room full of stuffy looking men feeling very out of place. She thinks she might go with her gut on this one and dress the part of a white-collar crimes agent. Which means she needs to dust off her old fed suits. She steps into the elevator, rides it up, and heads straight for Hotch’s office. She knocks on the open door. He looks up from the files he’s reading. He motions for her to the seat in front of him. She closes the door and gladly takes it, happy to be off her feet for at least a little while. She plops down into it and slings her backpack onto the floor. “Dani? I take it your combat test went well?” 

She smirks. “Swimmingly. I just got my desk.”

“Excellent. And you find out if you’re getting promoted on Monday?”

“That’s what I was told, yes.”

“So, all that’s left is getting those hours racked up.”

“Unless something else pops up.”

“UCR already knows this, but anytime we have a local case that could use your skills, including the new ones you’re about to acquire, you’ll be receiving a phone call. Unless you are already out on assignment.”

“Right, because that work comes first for me right now.”

“Exactly.”

“I’m not sure how much you said much when you made the request for me to work for them, but my… I think he’s my Unit Chief… he wasn’t exactly clear on that, but he knew exactly why you wanted me there.”

“They do their homework, that’s for sure.”

“Anything else we need to cover before I take off?”

“Actually, yes. I need to ask you something.”

She can tell by his tone that she’s probably not going to like what follows. “Sure. What’s up?”

“What is going on between you and Reid? And is it anything I should be concerned about?”

“I… uh… did he say something?”

He chuckles. “He didn’t have to. You might be good at hiding things from the rest of us, but he can’t. It was written all over his face at lunch.”

“And I’m sure you asked once I was out of the room.”

“Yes.”

“And what did he say?”

“Doesn’t matter what he said. I’m asking you.”

She shifts in her chair and contemplates how to answer the question. It’s not like they are anything super serious, yet. It is definitely headed in that direction, but as of right now they are just dating. Enjoying each other’s company, getting to know each other. “I don’t know… for the record talking about my personal life makes me uncomfortable. That said, I understand why you would be concerned… regulations aside. I uh… I don’t know what… we are… dating? There’s no title or anything involved yet and it might not go anywhere but as of right now we’re just… Hell, I haven’t even known him a week yet.”

He nods. “That’s about what I gathered from what he said. Which wasn’t much. Just that whatever it is started Sunday.”

“That about sums it up.” She fiddles with the cuff of her sleeve. “I… uh… I just want to say that no matter how whatever this is turns out, it will not impact my professionalism in the slightest. I have two cellphones for a reason. I’m very good at compartmentalizing. I hardly ever take my work home with me, unless the case requires it. The same goes for my personal life. It might make appearances in the office, but it’s not the reason I’m here. When I’m here, I’m here to work. Social interactions are not my priority, though that’s not to say they won’t happen.”

“Honestly, it’s not you I’m worried about.”

“Ah. I see. Well, I can’t speak for him obviously, but that is my stance on this whole thing.”

“Noted.”

“Is there… anything else, sir?”

He shakes his head, but then smiles a little. “You don’t have to keep calling me ‘sir.’”

She smirks, glad to be off the subject of her love life and onto any other subject. “Would you prefer ‘boss’?”

He chuckles. “I like ‘sir’ better.”

“Sir, it is then.” Not wanting to get tangled into something else that might make her uneasy, she stands. “I suppose I’ll see you on the next case I get assigned here.”

“That you will. Have a good weekend.”

“You too.”

She snags her backpack off the floor and tries not to flee from his office. She sees Spencer at his desk and remembers that she gave him a ride today and therefore probably shouldn’t just leave without him. She slings her backpack on and walks along the raised walkway in front of the offices before going down the stairs near his desk. He is quickly reading through a stack of case files. She knocks on his desk. “Knock, knock.”

He quickly looks up with a smile on his face that quickly fades when he sees her. “Whoa. What happened?”

“Is it really that bad? I thought it was just a little swollen.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say it’s bad, because I’ve definitely seen worse. I’ve had worse. I just wasn’t expecting…”

She shrugs a little. “Well, that’s partially my fault. The instructor said not to hold back, to give it my best. So, I did. As they say, you should see the other guys.”

“Guys?”

“It was 2 on 1. And I won. That’s really all there is to say about it.”

He chuckles and holds out his hand. She weaves her fingers between his and he inspects her knuckles, gently touching each reddened bump. “And Morgan thinks he can take you by himself?”

She laughs and squeezes his hand. “He wishes.” She nods to the pile of paperwork on his desk. “So, am I giving you a ride home or are you stuck here with all that?”

“Oh, I’m still going with you. This isn’t really important.”

“What is all of this?”

“Old case files. I like to read the BAU’s early works when I have spare time in the office.”

“And what’s this one?”

“Serial Killing Team out of Ohio. Didn’t get a lot of press back when they were killing. Mainly because their crimes couldn’t really be tied together and… You know, it’s not really important.”

She leans on his desk and picks up the top file. “Oh, come on, Spence. Don’t hold out on me.”

He smiles and scoots closer to where she’s leaning. “Ok. So, this team. Not legal husband and wife on paper, but common law wise they were.”

“Husband and wife killing duo? That’s not super common is it?”

“Not in my experience. Especially in this case.” He quickly opens and closes a few files before handing her one. “Maggie Rusten was a mechanic while Mike Dawlings was a paramedic.”

“Careers both involving transportation.”

“Right. I haven’t gotten through the whole thing yet, but police didn’t tie all these deaths together right away. In fact, some of their victims survived the encounter with them.”

“How’d they do it?”

“She would… are you really interested in this? It’s an old case. An exception to what we’re likely to see…”

“I’m sitting here. I asked. So, yes. I’m not one to fain interest when I’m not. Besides I like to see you get excited and nerd out about stuff. As evident by my trying to get you to spout tidbits of information whenever we spend more than a few fleeting minutes together.”

He turns bright red but smiles brightly. He reaches over and taps something in the folder she’s holding. “Well, whenever he was working, she’d do something to a vehicle in her shop that wouldn’t be detected by the driver right away.”

“Like punching a hole in a radiator hose or loosening the battery connection? Or more serious, like putting a hole in the gas or break line?”

“More serious. Her goal was to cause them to wreck. Then he’d show up and save their life. It didn’t always work. The lifesaving part, but she was really good at making these malfunctions look like accidents. Plus, she was good at covering her tracks.”

“Meaning her record keeping on the condition of the cars when they left her shop made it fairly airtight.”

“Right.”

“And was he in on it?”

“Not sure, that’s as far as I’ve gotten.”

“I would have to assume they eventually came to that conclusion since you said killing team.” She closes the file and hands it back to him. “Then I guess let me know how it ends.”

He takes the file and neatly organizes the stack. He pushes back from his desk and starts to gather his belongings, which include the completed stack of her books. He double checks that he has everything before turning his attention back to her. He notices she’s been watching him in his preparations with a gentle smile on her face. “Any particular reason you look…”

They walk together towards the elevator. “Happy? Blissful? Passively cheery?”

He chuckles. “Yeah.”

“It’s been a great day. Goals were achieved. Progress made. I’m getting to cut out early. I’m out of that damn cave. All in all,” she shrugs, “what’s not to be happy about?”

“I’m glad you had a great day.”

“It could turn into a great night too… unless you have plans.”

He flashes her a goofy grin. “Nope. Nothing.”

“Great. Wanna drive around with me? Maybe grab a bite? Or finish learning Japanese?”

“Yeah. I’m all for those ideas.”

“Great! Let’s go!” 

She unlocks his car door before going around to her side. He is already buckled when she sits. She buckles and starts the car. She fishes her phone out of her pocket, unlocks it, pulls up the music library, and hands it to him. She drives while he selects a song. After making his selection, he reaches forward and places the phone in the cradle next to the radio. She then turns the radio on and the Bluetooth connects.

The night is fairly uneventful. A stop at her apartment to change out the books. A stop in which he waits in the car. They grab some food to-go and she finds a nice place to park. They sit on the hood of her car using the car cover as a blanket underneath them. They don’t talk much. The closeness and blissful silence is really all either of them need. Having that thought makes her chuckle.

“What’s funny?”

She stretches out her legs, groaning softly, and gently lays back on the hood. Looking up at the few stars she can actually see. “I was just thinking it’s a little ironic that the two people who likely have so much information in their heads that between them conversations should likely never stop, have spent most of the night in utter silence. Not that I’m complaining. I just find it amusing.”

He lays down beside her. “Sometimes being able to be in the company of someone else and to not be pressured to fill those silences is a sign of trust and the comfort level between them. The fact that we can lay here and just watch the night sky together just emphasizes the connection we have.”

“I whole heartedly agree with that.”

Her phone buzzes in her pocket and she fishes it out. It’s a name she wasn’t prepared to see. “I’ve gotta take this.”

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah. It’s just my brother.”

She gets in her car and closes the door leaving him on the hood. “Hey Sam.”

“Hey. I hope I’m not interrupting you.”

“A little. What do you need?”

“Lore help mostly.”

She looks out the windshield to see what he’s doing. He’s still just laying on her hood. It doesn’t appear that he can hear her. “I assumed it was hunting related. Which proves correct. What do you have?”

“I think you know.”

“The Darkness?”

“Yeah. We’re coming up empty.”

“Same. I’ve read every version of the bible I can find looking for anything. So far nothing. Most people just assume it’s flavor text. And not literally Dark and Light.”

“Great.”

“Sorry I can’t be more help on this.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“How’s Dean?”

“Obsessed.”

“Can’t say that I blame him.”

“He seems to.”

“He does that.”

“I uh… I’ve been praying.”

“To angels or…?”

“God. Asking for help.”

“Any response?”

“Yes?”

“Not sure?”

“It’s God? Can we ever be sure? It just feels…”

“What kind of response are you getting?”

“Visions. Dreams.”

“About?”

“The cage.”

“Sam.”

“Don’t worry, Dean has given me the lecture. I just… I don’t know what to do about it. Why am I being shown these things?”

“I don’t know, Sam. But I bet Dean and I are of the same mind on this. The cage is bad news. Lucifer more so. Not to mention, Michael is still in there too. Are you thinking about…?”

“No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“Well, all I have to say is if you are going to be stupid enough to go to the cage, you’re taking me with you and we’re going to talk to Michael instead of Lucifer. He was at least willing to concede his steadfast ways during the capitol ‘A’ Apocalypse.”

“True. I’ll think about it. And I will keep you posted.”

“You do that. And I’m here to talk if you ever need it. Just maybe… text first?”

“Any particular reason?”

“Well… I’m kinda on a date right now… so…”

“Sorry. I’ll let you go. Have fun.”

“I am.”

“Love you. Miss you.”

“Backatcha.”

“Bye.” 

“Bye.” She hangs up the phone and drops it into the seat. She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. She rests her forehead on the steering wheel. They are in deeper than she ever imagined if Sam is considered going to Lucifer for answers. The guilt she feels at keeping her distance makes her heart hurt. A knock on the driver’s side window reminds her that she isn’t alone. She sits back in the seat and looks over at him.

His hand is pressed against the glass. “Are you ok?”

She moves to open the door and he steps back. “I’m fine. Just… missing them. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen them… months even… it’s not important.”

“Which brother called?”

“My twin.”

He simply nods and sticks his hands in his pockets. “Do you want to…”

“Talk about it? No. He was just… checking in. And I’m sorry it interrupted an otherwise perfect day.”

He smiles. “This was a perfect day for you?”

She nods and steps closer to him. “Yep. Dreams came true. I got to kick some ass. I’m not in that cave anymore. And I’m with you. I got to have lunch with you.”

He smirks and licks his lips. “I’m glad you think so highly of me to include me in the list of what made your day perfect.”

“There’s only one thing I can think of that would top it off.”

“Oh? And what’s that?”

She smiles. “A hot bath. My whole-body aches right now.”

“Oh. Well, that’s not what I thought you were going to say.”

“And what did you think I was going to say?”

He fiddles with the band of his watch and looks away from her. “Uh… Bukkumāku.”

She chuckles. “Alrighty, then. Great pronunciation, by the way.” She moves to the front of her car and starts to gather the items still on the hood. He stands there watching her for a few moments. Gathering himself from his near slip. He would have loved to kiss her, but it just didn’t feel like the right time. Not when she just half-lied to his face. Not that he blames her. The phone call was really none of his business. If he weren’t a profiler, he might not have even caught the slight delay in her answer. But he did, and it’s the first time since they’ve met that she’s not told him the truth. As an honest person by nature, he has to assume that she has a reason for not being truthful. The phone call had clearly upset her and he didn’t want to let something this trivial get in the way of what they are developing.

He finally steps forward and takes the trash from their dinner from her hands. She smiles at him and proceeds to fold up the car cover. He catches her briefly inspecting the hood before going to put the cover in the backseat. It was her idea to sit on the hood together to eat and watch the stars. If damage had been done, it would have been her own fault. Yet he finds her concern cute. He looks around and doesn’t see a trash can nearby, so he gets in the car with the bag of trash.

After they’ve buckled and she starts the car, she picks up her phone out of the seat and hands it to him, music already pulled up. To him this says that she has no idea that he knows she lied. If he wore that kind of person, he could easily take a quick look at the recent calls to figure out who it was she talked to. Yet he gets the feeling that it wasn’t which brother she spoke to that was the lie, more what they talked about. But it’s really not his business. He randomly selects a song and places the phone in the cradle.

They drive in silence. He has the dome light in the car on so that he can read the final set of books she has provided to him. She glances over at him as they near his apartment. “Got plans for lunch Monday?”

“Not unless we have a case.”

“Cool. Then if you think you’ve mastered the reading aspect, I want to start you on the verbal aspect. You can practice writing in your own time.”

“Sounds good.”

She pulls to a stop outside his building and grabs the plastic parking pass from the window before sliding out of the car. He is already putting money in the meter when she closes the door. She reaches for his hand and he spreads his fingers to allow her access. When they stop outside his door, she gives his hand a squeeze before offering the parking permit with her free hand. “Thanks for encouraging me to apply.”

“Thank me when this plan actually works out.”

“Can’t I thank you both times?”

“Of course, you can.”

He takes the permit from her and sticks it in his messenger bag. He spreads his arms and she steps in for a hug. “You’re welcome. But my motivations were partially selfish.”

She chuckles and gives him a squeeze, “I know.” She loosens her grip slightly to look up at him. “Hey. I’d have to run this by Penny, but uh… we’re watching _Doctor Who_ on Sunday. It wouldn’t really be a date since she would be there, but you could come… if you want… and if she’s ok with you crashing our hang out day.”

“Which one? Classic or modern?”

“Uh… modern? I didn’t even know there was more than one.”

“Are you kidding me? No, no, no. That won’t fly. If she’s trying to educate you in _Doctor Who_ , she has to also show you the classic. I own them all. Well, at least the ones that still exist.”

She laughs and rests her forehead against his chest. “Then I suppose we need to schedule that as well.”

He rests his chin on top of her head. “It can wait. No need to overwhelm you. Do you have a Doctor yet?”

“What?”

“I take he hasn’t regenerated yet.”

“He does that?”

“You haven’t gotten very far have you?”

“Charles Dickens.”

“Oh wow. You’ve only just started.”

“Yep.”

“Well, I’d love to join you guys. So, ask her and let me know.”

“Will do.”

They give one final squeeze before bidding each other good night. 


	7. A Journey Through Time and Space

She is on cloud nine on the way home. She calls Penelope from the car.

“Well, hello there.”

“Hey.”

“Did I happen to see you and certain profiler leave together today?”

“We arrived together too. It only makes sense that I’d give him a ride home.”

“And maybe on a date?”

“We did have a very casual date tonight, yes. You’re not going around telling everyone that are you?”

“Come on. Who are you talking to?”

“Well, if you’re not talking, I’m going to have to work on our poker faces, because Hotch pulled me into his office before I left for the day.”

“How bad was it?”

“It wasn’t. I assured him that no matter how this turns out, it won’t impact my job in the slightest. I’m very good at compartmentalizing.”

“I should say so.”

“I actually have a question for you of a semi-related topic.” She gets out of the car. “But you’ll have to hold while I put Roxy to bed.”

Penny laughs. “Ok. I’ll hold.”

She places the phone on mute then puts it in her pocket. She quickly gathers her things, sees that he took the trash out of her car and she didn’t even notice. She locks the doors and puts the cover on. She heads for the elevator. She unmutes and places the phone to her ear, “Ok. I’m back.”

“What did you need to ask me?”

“How opposed are to adding someone to our Sunday hangout?”

“Like permanently or…?”

“Well, I told him we were watching _Doctor Who_ and he got really excited. I told him I’d run it by you.”

“Sure, but he knows we wear pajamas all day, right?”

“I may have left that part out.”

“It is an important part of Sundays. So, I expect you to hold to tradition even if he doesn’t participate.”

“OK, ok. I’ll let him know. But this poses another issue.”

“Which is?”

She unlocks her door, turns off the alarm, and proceeds to check her traps. “Penny, you’ve seen my apartment. The salt alone would give someone pause. I’ve been meaning to get the supplies to eliminate the need for salt since I got this place, but I haven’t had the time.”

“Easy. You’ve got all day tomorrow to do what you need to do. I don’t have plans, so I can come over and help you. We can go to the grocery store and get enough stuff to hide the unsavory contents of your fridge. We will have your place presentable long before your boyfriend gets there.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. At least not yet.” Dani pulls a beer from the fridge and pops the cap off. She takes a few long swigs. “You know, I have to thank you for that.”

“Really? Why?”

“If you hadn’t pushed slash tricked me, I wouldn’t have gone out with Spence. At least the probability for being out with him would have been far less. I didn’t think I was ready to date again. I was wrong.”

“Oh. Well, you’re welcome then.”

She chugs the rest of the beer and tosses it. “I should probably get to bed. I’ve got a lot of work to do to make this place civilian ready.”

“What time should I come over to help?”

“Uh… I’ll be out most of the morning. Shoot for noon? If I’m not back, you’ve got a code and keys so…”

“Gotcha. See you tomorrow!”

“Talk to ya later.”

She hangs up and shoots off one final text before rushing off to get ready for bed. 

_Sleep well. And I will see you Sunday._

She goes to put her phone down and seconds later it buzzes. She scoops it up and smiles. She sets it back down and quickly changes into her pjs. She climbs under the covers after shutting off all the lights and settles onto her side. She opens her phone.

_Should I bring anything since I’m crashing girl’s night?_

_I wouldn’t call it girl’s night, but you can if you want to. I’m pretty stocked on drinks and snacks._

_Also, I should warn you that this is typically a pajama party. But you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to._

_Ok._

_What are you doing tomorrow?_

_Nothing major. Reading. Some projects I’ve been putting off._

_Fun._

_Yep._

_I should let you get to sleep._

_Alright. Well, good night._

_Good night._

She locks her phone and plugs it in to charger. She sets her alarm and flops onto her stomach. She sticks her arms under the pillow and drifts off to sleep with a smile on her face.

***

When he pulls into her parking garage Sunday afternoon, he discovers the he is not the first to arrive. Her spots stick out since her covered vehicle takes up two spots. But the reversed signs in front of those and the two next to it make it evident that she is parked legally. Penelope’s orange Cadillac is parked in one of those extra spots. He pulls in beside it and gathers his things before stepping out of the car. The elevator isn’t far away. Knowing where her apartment is has taken away some of the anxiety he is feeling about being in her apartment. That is also lessened because someone familiar will also be there. He feels a little funny having left his apartment in pajama pants, but he’s not about to disrupt their Sunday tradition any more than he already is just by being there.

He steadies himself by taking a few deep breaths before knocking on her door. “Coming!” The door flies open moments later and she smiles brightly at him. “Hi!”

He takes her in. Her hair is thrown up in a messy bun. She is wearing dark gray oversized basketball shorts and a loose-fitting tank top. He can see the strap of her bra since one of the tank top straps has slipped off her shoulder slightly. She has no makeup on, not that she wears much anyway. He swallows hard then licks his lips. So far, this is his favorite look. “Hi.”

She steps aside and motions for him to enter. “I see you opted to participate fully.”

He steps in and takes in her apartment. Semi-open floor. Dining room used as an office. Penelope waves from one of the bar stools at the kitchen island. Bunny slippers on her feet, with fuzzy blue pajamas with penguins all over them, and pigtails makes her the most colorful thing in the room. It would be the old quilt draped over the back of the gray couch, but it looks old and faded. The only other door must lead to her bed and bathroom. He waves back to his friend. Dani motions to a coat rack.

“You can hang your stuff here. Shoes are optional.”

He glances down and sees that she is barefoot. She scurries into the kitchen and snags an open beer the counter. She takes a swig before setting it back down and going to check something in the oven. The smell that wafts over to him breaks through his observations. He hangs his coat, scarf, and bag on the coat rank. He looks down at his feet and opts to go without shoes. He unlaces his high tops and places them beside the coat rack. His mismatched socks muffling the sound of his foot falls on the hardwood and large area rug. “That smells amazing.”

Penelope pats the barstools bedside her. “Dani is the best baker I know.”

He slides onto the stool bedside her and watches Dani study the contents of the oven. “I hope you didn’t do that for my benefit.”

Penelope laughs. “Of course not. I make her bake every Sunday.”

“Make is a strong word, Penny. Baking is a hobby of mine, so it’s nice to have people to bake for.”

“And this isn’t some out of the box, just add water stuff either. This is genuine, homemade, from scratch baking. She doesn’t even need a recipe.”

Dani closes the oven and chuckles as she turns to face them. “Now that’s not entirely true. Just because I don’t refer to the physical book doesn’t mean I’m not using it.”

“Oh, right. I forget about your Reid like brain.”

Dani smiles at him. “Believe it or not, that’s how she’s referred to it since we’ve met. And now I know why.” She gestures towards the fridge. “Want something to drink?”

“Sure. What do you have?”

“Beer and wine. Some stronger stuff. Coke, sprite. Tea, both iced sweet and hot. Coffee. Water.” She moves to the fridge and takes a peek inside. “I think that’s blue raspberry lemonade. But it could be also be mixed berry. I don’t remember what I made, I just sorta blindly grabbed one. Uh… milk… that about covers it.” She closes the door and faces him. “Pick your poison.”

“A coke is fine.”

She reaches in the fridge and produces a can. She sets it on the counter and opens a cabinet door. She pulls down a glass and he smiles as she inspects it for cleanliness. “Ice?”

“No thanks.”

She smirks at him as she pours his coke into the glass. “I’m not a fan of ice either.” She slides the glass towards him as if she were a bar tender. “Refill of the red or do you want something else?”

“I can get my own damn drink.” Penelope holds up her wine glass. “Besides, I’m still nursing this one.”

“Well, those have a few more minutes. Do we want to order food or just chow down on snacks for now?”

Penelope and Spencer look at each other and then nod. They say, “Snacks,” at the same time.

“Cool. Penny, kindly show Spencer to the pantry for adequate raiding. I will get the tv setup.”

He watches her shove off the counter and move into the living room. He’s very happy this isn’t awkward, because it easily could have been. Penelope nudges him and motions for him to follow her when his attention snaps to her. She smirks at him, clearly having caught him staring, but doesn’t say a word. He follows her to a tall cabinet and together they pick out some proper TV watching snacks.

Dani glances over her shoulder while they are over there. He looks as nervous as she feels. Playing hostess has never been her strong suit and she’s a little out to sea with how to entertain guests. Penny has never said anything about it, but did offer a few pointers while she was mixing cookie dough. She’s glad to have her for a friend right now. It’s been a while since a stranger has entered her home that had it just been the two of them, she’s not sure she’d be able to be so casual about it. Plus, he looks adorable in his light blue pajamas pants with white intersecting lines on them, his white t-shirt, and mismatched socks. 

After inserting the disk, she goes back to the oven. She takes a peek inside and smiles. She grabs the potholder off the counter and removes the trays from the oven. He brings a few bags of microwave popcorn over and peers over her shoulder. “Mmm. Are those snickerdoodles?”

“Yep.” She looks back at him. “But no touching until I tell you, or you won’t get the full effect.”

Penelope sets three large bowls on the counter. “Do what she says. Because if she catches you being sneaky, she’ll smack you.”

“Gently smack you.”

He chuckles and starts removing the plastic from the bags. “Well, to be fair, it’s probably not wise to eat them right out of the oven anyway. They would burn the inside of your month and then you won’t be able to taste them as well.”

“Exactly.” She reaches forward to turn off the oven and sets the potholder on the counter. “Plus, the tray is still hot. They are technically still baking, and they won’t be done until they stop.”

Penelope takes the unpopped bag from him. “Wish she had taken the time to explain that to me after the first few times of getting smacked.”

Dani shrugs and moves to sit on a bar stool. Spencer sits beside her. “Gently. And I figured you’d take the hint.”

They banter while the popcorn pops. This is one of her top 10 normal moments. It has to be. Nothing supernatural to hunt, not that she’s even checked which is also out of the ordinary. She’s being more her authentic self than she’s been able to in months. It is a nice feeling. One she is also hesitant to get used to. She is afraid that becoming complacent in this normal life will only make it hurt more when she is pulled back into the fire. She’s a Winchester. It’s only a matter of time. She pushes those thoughts away for now. She needs to absorb and live in this moment. This beautifully mundane moment. She’s never expressed this to Penny, but Sundays have become her favorite day. Because unless she’s on a hunt, she gets to have this moment of peace with someone who isn’t in the life. And now? Now, she has added another person to that peace. She leans to the side and rests her head on his shoulder. Not even caring that Penelope will see. Her elevated mood cannot be dampened by whatever teasing might come her way.

He looks over at her as her head makes contact with his shoulder. She has that smile on her face that she had in the car Friday. A look that tells him she is utterly happy. Content and carefree. It is moments when this expression surfaces that it comes to his attention that there always seems to be some sort of weight resting upon her shoulders. He wants to slide his hand around her to bring it to rest on the small of her back. And he would have without hesitation were it not for the third party in the room. Then he decides if she can be this carefree then so can he. He wraps his arm around her, bringing his hand to rest on the small of her back. She can feel that his touch is tentative by the way his fingers shift slightly before they settle. She sits there and enjoys the moment, but then she involuntarily sighs, happily. This audible noise is what draws Penelope’s attention away from whatever conversation the three of them were having.

“Ugh. You two are so cute it’s nauseating. I love it.”

“Is that why you told Morgan about our physical contact at lunch?”

Dani’s eyes dart to her now sheepish looking friend. Penny sets the popcorn bowl down and holds up both of her hands. “In my defense, you asked if I had said anything to Hotch.”

Dani shifts forward resting her elbows on the island. “Penelope…”

“You know I can’t keep secrets from Derek.”

“You have before.”

“But this is different. He saw the noodle theft and then I pointed out the touching then he sorta got the message to Hotch.”

Dani isn’t mad. Though maybe she should be. It’s not like they are hiding, but mostly she feels guilty. Had her and Penelope’s friendship been 100% normal, then her friend would have more room for these personal secrets. As it stands, Penny is keeping a large part of Dani’s life a secret and has not slipped once. She isn’t remotely surprised that this slipped through the cracks. She is certain it has less to do with Morgan and more to do with there being a limit to how many secrets Penelope can hold at one time. Dani smirks knowing that a teasing tone will at least show that she’s not mad at her for spilling the beans. “Hmm… guess you’re going to have to decide what’s more important.”

“There’s a choice?”

“Hanging out with me or keeping your trap shut around Morgan.”

Penelope feigns shock. It’s not at all convincing, which is clearly for Spencer’s benefit. “Aw, come on. That’s not fair.”

Dani simply smirks and slips off the barstool to check the cookies. She nods and retrieves a nearby spatula to scoop them all onto a large plate. She gets a beer from the fridge and holds a coke can out to Spencer. He takes it and refreshes his glass. She takes the cookies and her drink to the living room with Penelope hot on her heels with two bowls of popcorn. He grabs the third and his drink. Dani plops down in the middle of the couch and Penny takes up the entire love seat by stretching her legs out on it and covering herself with a fuzzy blanket. She puts one of the bowls in her lap. That leaves the recliner or on the couch with Dani. He doesn’t even have to think about it. He sits down beside her. He sets the bowl and drink down.

She smiles at him before reaching forward to retrieve the PS4 controller. She has already prepped for their viewing, so moving from the couch to change the disk won’t be required for three episodes. As the menu loads, Penny turns to Spencer. “Ok, boy wonder. Some ground rules.”

“Ok.”

“1. No talking.”

“Naturally.”

Dani nudges him. “Save for the occasional reactionary response, because I’m that person.”

“2. No spoilers.”

“I would nev…” She narrows her eyes at him. “That was one time and how was I supposed to know you hadn’t finished the book yet?”

“3. We don’t pause. Unless there is like an emergency or something. So, if you get up, you’ll just miss whatever is happening.”

Dani pulls her feet up onto the couch as she gets comfortable. “Except if it’s me, since I’ve never seen these.”

“4…”

“Penelope.”

“What?”

She narrows her eyes at her best friend. They had this talk already. “I think he gets it.”

“Fine. Just…”

“Penelope.”

“Ugh fine. Hit play.”

Dani unfolds herself and grabs the plate of cookies off the table. She holds it out to her slightly sulking friend. “First dibs?”

Penny hesitates before snatching three cookies off the plate. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“I know.” She winks at her friend.

“Wait. Was that a _Star Wars_ reference?”

“I’m not completely unexposed to nerdom.”

Spencer looks over at her as she resumes her spot. “Have you seen _Star Trek_?”

“Which one?”

“Any of them?”

“Yes.”

He chuckles and takes a cookie when she offers him the plate. “Which ones?”

“All of them? There’s been so many it’s hard to keep track.”

“Favorite?”

“Voyager.”

He nods and takes a bite of the cookie. “Oh wow.”

Penny hums. “I know right.”

She takes one herself and sets the plate down. After taking a bite, she shrugs. “Not my best work.” She leans back on the couch and kicks her feet up on the table. He looks over at her in utter disbelief. This wasn’t her best work? With the memory he has, he knows without a shadow of doubt that these are the best cookies he has ever had. He scoffs and she glances over at him. “Care you share your thoughts with the class, Dr. Reid?”

“All I will say on the subject, as I’m certain you don’t need an ego boost on your baking skills,” which causes Penelope to snort in laughter. He flashes his friend a smile before continuing, “is that if you ever tire of being an FBI agent, you could easily open a very successful bakery.”

Penelope reaches over to snag another cookie. “Exactly! I have been telling her this for years!”

Dani shakes her head. The joy she might get from baking is nothing compared to the enjoyment she gets from the work she currently does. Saving people, hunting things. Both human and monsters alike. Baking is purely a hobby. One she will spoil those she cares about with but could never be content making a profit on it. “Are you going to watch the episode or what?”

Penelope gestures towards the screen with her half-eaten cookie. “You’re the one with the remote.”

Dani chuckles and reaches for the controller in her lap. She selects watch all episodes from the menu and leans forward to place the controller on the coffee table. She trades it for a bowl of popcorn and folds her legs up to cradle the bowl but slumps down in her seat to sort of lounge.

As the episode starts, she exchanges a quick look with Penelope. They are both acutely aware that sometimes her commentary dips into her hunting experience. She will need to be careful what she says out loud. But she doesn’t want to censor her thoughts as she knows it is one of the things Penelope enjoys about watching the show together. She will just keep the hunting reactions to herself.

He notices, as she starts to respond to the episode, that Penelope only chuckles but doesn’t respond. He adopts the same practice. He finds himself laughing louder than he expected when she calls one of the characters Nancy Drew. And when The Doctor gets sarcastic about telling them what he is doing to the TARDIS and she responds with, “Mmm. Yes, please,” he starts to see more clearly that she has a type and he fits right into it. And every so often, she’ll elbow him and comment on how much of him she sees in The Doctor. Saying things like, “Think The Doctor can out read you?” “He rattles things off like you.” And “We would make fantastic companions.”

When the first disk ends, she is off the couch in a flash. She gets to the tv and turns back to them. “I’m assuming we’re good for more?”

“Absolutely!” Penelope gets off the sofa, “But, I need a refill and more snacks.”

Dani removes the disk from the PlayStation and places it back in the case. “Unless we’re ready to order something. I’m thinking pizza.”

“Pizza? Really?”

“What’s wrong with pizza? We can get it from that New York style place.”

“They got the order wrong last time.”

“They fixed it and we got free pizza out of it.”

“They put a pepperoni on my veggie pizza.”

“Ok, ok. Then what do you want?” She puts the next disc in and goes towards the kitchen. “Cuz I’m kinda craving a white pizza.”

“Aww man. Why’d you have to say that?”

Dani goes into the kitchen and pulls out a drawer. She produces a stack of delivery menus. “Look. We don’t have to order from one place.” She smiles at Spencer. “Sorry, we do this every Sunday.”

“I’m cool with pizza, if I get a vote.”

Dani drops the menus on the island and points at Penelope. “Ha! He’s on my side!”

Penelope rolls her eyes, “Of course, he is. You’ve been comparing him to The Doctor all night.”

She turns a little red. “Have I? Huh. Interesting.”

Penelope shakes her head. “Whatever. Pizza is fine. But if they mess it up, I will riot.”

“Would it make you feel better if I put the next batch in?”

She claps and nods. “Yes, please!”

“And I assume you both need refills?”

They both nod, but Spencer gets up. He snags Penelope’s glass and heads into the kitchen. “I’ve got this.”

She smiles at him as he sets the glasses down and opens the fridge. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure.”

She turns on the oven, then grabs a menu and takes it to her pouting friend. “Large white for me. Large veggie lovers for you. And a large whatever Spence wants. Oh, and garlic knots!”

“Oh! That’s right! They have those fantastic garlic knots! I’ll get some alfredo to dip them.”

“Good call.” She brushes her hand along his shoulder as she moves past him to get to the fridge. “What will you have?”

“I don’t need a whole pizza to myself.”

“So, you’re good with sharing?”

“Sure. I’m not super particular when it comes to pizza, unless it’s something crazy. I’m a simple toppings guy.”

She nods. “Get a large pepperoni.” Penelope nods and pulls out her phone to call the order in.

After refilling both of their glasses, he returns to the living room. He is about to head back to the kitchen when Penny stops him. “Hey. I wouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

She nods her chin over towards the kitchen and they watch Dani move around the kitchen, gathering ingredients on the island. “Best to stay out of her way?”

“Out of respect for her craft.”

He laughs and takes his spot on the couch. They both watch her work. Measuring, sifting, mixing. It baffles him how many facets she has. Her personality is full of contradictions. A near perfect shot while also being an all-star baker. A genius level hacker and all-around bad ass. He wonders if she will ever stop surprising him and he hopes that the answer to that is no.

After putting the cookies in the oven, she bounds back over to the couch and plops down beside him. The three of them fall into easy conversation as they wait for both cookies and pizza. The topic that surprises him most is Gideon.

“I know I mentioned that I knew Gideon a bit. That he recruited me.” They both nod. “Well, I found out while going over this plan to get me on the team with Hotch that he wrote me an endorsement letter.”

“Wow. Really?”

Dani nods. “Hotch gave me a copy. He submitted it before I even applied.”

Spencer brushes his fingers along her shoulders. “Have you read it yet?”

She shakes her head. The security panel on the wall rings and Penelope hops up. She buzzes the delivery driver up and stands by the door to wait. “Why haven’t you?”

“Feels weird. I haven’t spoken to him in… a very long time. We gradually fell out of contact after my placement.”

“That’s more than the rest of us can say. He wasn’t talking to us then.”

She pats his knee. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

He shakes his head. “It’s ok. We’re all still…”

“I know. I asked Penny about this last week. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

Penelope closes the front door and carries the pizza into the kitchen. “You know, Reid, Dani offered to be a sympathetic ear if any of us need it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. And you should read what he had to say.”

“I will. Seems like a solo kinda thing though. Pizza?” She motions to the kitchen where Penny is pulling plates from a cabinet. He nods. She stands and offers her hand. He smiles, shaking off the grief fueled melancholy, and takes her hand. She drops him off at the island to check on the cookies. Seeing that they are done, she pulls them out and shuts off the oven. She kicks herself for bringing it up. Penny didn’t need the whole thing explained to her. Gideon had recruited her because of the hunting cases they worked together. She is curious as to how he pitched it. This is her first slip of the night. Sundays are the days she is used to being 100% transparent. And in this case, not only is Gideon a sore spot for everyone in the BAU but she saw him more in her other job than the one she shared with the others in the room. She makes a mental note to be more careful about subjects she needs to talk to her best friend about later.

They eat in the kitchen, her Gideon snafu fading to the background, while they wait for the cookies to cool. Chocolate chip this time. Once they are, they settle into watching the next disc, a four episode stretch this time. It does not go unnoticed to the others that she gets very quiet during the episode “Father’s Day” and at the same time they know enough about her past to know why. She opts to take a bathroom break afterwards.

Spencer looks at Penny once the bedroom door is closed. “That one hit close to home.”

Penny nods. “She told you about Bobby.”

“Some.”

“It will probably be a while before she really talks about him.”

“I got that impression. I can wait.”

“What you should know is that he died days before her placement. He and Gideon were both equally responsible for her becoming an agent. And she probably won’t say this, but Gideon being killed… it brought it all back.”

“Two important figures dying right before major life changes will do that.”

Dani clears her throat from the bedroom door. Both on them sheepishly turn their attention to her where she leans with her arms folded against the door frame. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have told him.” Dani holds up her hand.

“What Penny is neglecting to mention is that the reason his death brought it all back is because they were both murdered. Both of their killers are dead so that’s at least some comfort. But as you both know, family can be a sensitive topic. That episode was… a little too real for me.” Spencer offers his hand and she smiles. She shoves off the frame and takes his hand. “I’m fine now. I just… needed a minute. Could we stop being downers and get back to it?” Dani plops down next to Spencer, still holding onto his hand.

Penny leans forward and touches her knee. “Are you sure? We can…”

“No. They’d both be pissed if we allow ourselves to wallow.”

They both nod and settle in to continue.

The night carries on and the mood shifts back to the jovialness it had previously. The big change now is that Dani is no longer the one changing discs. Penny, who happens to think to hand holding is too cute to interrupt has taken over. The hours fly by. And before she knows it, they are on the last episode of Season 1.

“Wait. This is the last one?” She uses her phone to check the time. “It’s barely 8.”

Penelope chuckles. “We do all have work in the morning. And someone starts her new position tomorrow.”

“Let me worry about my training day.” She glances over at Spencer. The two of them have been drifting closer and closer together as the episodes played. He is right next to her now. Shoulder to shoulder. Their fingers laced together and occasionally caressing. While she is enjoying the show, it is the closeness and her plans to move this into cuddling fuels her need for this to continue. In fact, she has a plan that requires a small break to instigate. “I know Season 2 has a different Doctor. I have to know how that works and what happens after. So, screw sleep. It’s for the weak.”

They both laugh and Penelope stands to retrieve her purse. “Good thing I brought the other box.”

“Yes!” She squeezes his hand before standing. “Well, since we’re paused, I need to pee. And I believe drinks and snacks need a refill.”

Spencer hops up off the cough and starts scooping up glasses. “On it.”

As soon as he clears the couch, she yanks the worn quilt off the couch and balls it up. She tosses it in her spot and bounds for the bathroom. He watches her go. She is up to something and it makes him a little nervous. That quilt has sat in one place since he arrived. Why now is she moving it?

He catches Penelope smiling at him as he pours drinks. “What?”

“I’m glad she’s enjoying this.”

“Me too.”

“You two are getting pretty cozy.”

He licks his lips. Derek had said that Penelope was the authority on Dani. If there’s a person to ask his questions, it’s her. “Is that… normal behavior?”

“I… don’t know actually. I never met her exes.”

“Exes? Plural?”

She nods. “I doubt she’ll talk about them though. They didn’t end well. Keep in mind I’ve known her for years. With a capitol Y.”

“How many?”

“Uh… I don’t know the exact date. I’m not you.” They both smile. “But… do you remember when The Replicator put those pics of us up and we all got a protective detail? What am I saying? Of course, you do. Well, she was mine. It’s how we met.”

“Do you want the date?”

“No… wait! Yes! I love doing anniversaries!”

“February 20, 2013.”

“Really? Feels like longer than that… anyway what I was trying to say is, when she sets her mind to something, when she commits to it, she’s in for the long haul. She is also a very private personal, so if she is showing affection in front of others, just go with it.”

“Really? Derek said she was… promiscuous.”

Penny laughs. “When she’s single, she can be. But I haven’t seen that in… well, a very long time.”

“How very?”

Penny looks towards the bedroom, biting her lip. “Dani should really be telling you this stuff.”

“I think it might be too early to discuss exes. For both of us.”

“The only time I ever saw that behavior from her was between boyfriends way back when we first met. I don’t know specifics so don’t ask. She didn’t do that after the last one.”

“Last question and then I’ll drop it.”

She heads the living room with her drink and he follows with his and Dani’s. “Ok. Fine. Make it quick.”

“In the time you’ve known her, how many serious relationships has she had?”

“Two. One ended not long after we met, the second… lasted a few years before it ended badly.”

“Badly how?”

“You said last question.”

“Fair enough.”

“And besides. That’s her story to tell.”

Dani comes out of the bedroom then. “Ooooh. What story?”

They say, “Nothing,” at the same time.

Dani smiles as she sits in the center to the couch. “Talking about me again, then?” Penny laughs while Spencer flashes her a bashful smile. “That’s all the evidence I need.” She pats the spot next to her, which puts Spencer next to an armrest. “I don’t blame you.” He sets their drinks down and takes his spot next to her. “Let’s say the tables were turned and I was alone with your best friend. You bet I’d take the opportunity to get some inside info.” She covers them both with the quilt before scooting to sit right up next to him. “But, as you know, anything you wanna know, just ask me.”

He takes her offered hand and she tucks it under the covers while pulling them up to her chin. “Cold?”

“No. Just wanted to be a little more cozy.”

He nods and Penelope starts the season finale. The pattern continues, Penelope gets up to change discs, except this time Dani scoots even closer to Spencer. She lifts their joined hands to lift his arm to move it out of the way. She then pulls her hand from his and slides her arm between his back and the couch. His arm hovers in the air where she left it as she settles in beside him. She curls her legs up on the couch and rests her head on his shoulder. She reaches up with her left hand to take his, she places it on her shoulder.

His heart is in his throat. Whatever he was about to say to Penelope has evaporated. He doesn’t even remember what the subject was. Once she stops moving, and adjusting him as she desires, he takes a moment to take in what just happened. She is… is this snuggling or cuddling? Either way, there is no doubt that this was her intended goal when she put the quilt over the both of them. He is overwhelmed, but not by the contact. Which surprises him. It’s the suddenness of the shift. He feels… ambushed? Pounced maybe? But overall, not uncomfortable.

“This ok?”

He looks down at her and she looks to be regretting her decision. He smiles softly and it relaxes her. “I’m surprised, but yeah. This is… good.”

She smiles and snuggles in closer. Her left arm snakes around his waist to join the other at his side. Penelope does not comment and simply starts the next episode. One that he misses entirely due her proximity. This has never happened before. Ever. Not that he’s ever had a girlfriend that would have wanted to binge watch _Doctor Who_ all day and cuddle while doing so. The two that he’s had in his entire life have both been long distance. Cuddling is impossible when you aren’t in the same room for long enough. He could definitely get used to this. As the second episode of season 2 starts, he fully embraces this whole cuddling thing. He wraps his arm more tightly around her shoulders, trails his fingers along the arm draped over his stomach, and brings his head to rest on top of hers.

He can feel her talking when she responds to things. And by the way she hums when David Tennant rattles off some bit of information, he knows that she has found her Doctor. He smiles to himself and makes a mental note to ask her if she would be the Rose to his 10 if they were able to go to that convention again.

At the end of disc 2, Penelope yawns and reaches for the remote. “Alright, you two. It’s midnight and it’s time for Cinderella to leave this ball.”

Dani grumbles and reluctantly removes himself from Spencer’s side. “Do you have to?”

“You two might be night owls, but this girl needs her beauty sleep.”

Spencer nods. “I really should go too.”

“Really?” She tries to hide the disappointment. She isn’t ready to say good night to him.

He nods. “We’ve been watching TV for hours. My eyes are tired.”

Penny smiles. “We’ll at least help you clean up!” Both of them start moving before she can protest further. Spencer gathering plates and glasses while Penny packs up her box sets. Dani goes into the kitchen to prep to-go bags for the leftover cookies. If they are going to leave, it is probably best for her self-control they do so quickly. No long goodbyes. She goes to grab something and finds that Spencer is doing her dishes, by hand.

“You don’t have to do that. I have a dishwasher.”

“You baked for us. A lot. Least I can do is help.”

She gives him a hug from behind. “Thanks. That’s the worst part of baking.” He smiles at her over his shoulder. She smiles back before walking away. “And again, I have a dishwasher.”

“I will load it when I’m done.”

Penelope starts putting on her coat. “You guys cool if I leave then? That looks like it’s going to take a while.”

Dani smiles. Penny has been the buffer all night. She has been on her best behavior because her bestie has been there. She worries what might happen if they are alone in her apartment. She doesn’t however want to admit that. “Nah. We’re good.” She gives her friend a huge hug. “Thanks for sharing today.”

“Don’t mention it.” They separate and she points at Dani. “Behave.”

Dani scoffs. “What?”

Penny starts whispering as she gathers the last of her stuff. “He has been nervous all night. Give him some slack.”

“I picked up that. Especially since he was playing 20 questions with you every time I was out of the room. Which I want to know all about. It is only fair.”

“I’ll fill you in. It’s nothing bad I promise. Bobby and dating history mostly.”

Dani groans. “How detailed?”

“Not very. I kept it vague… ish.”

“Penelope.”

She smirks and shrugs. She moves with all of her stuff into the kitchen. “See you at work.” He leans over to allow her to hug him since his hands are wet.

“Drive safe. Let one of us know that you made it.”

“Will do. Toodles.” She exits out the front door and Dani locks it behind her. She leans against it to watch him wash her dishes. She doesn’t know why being alone in her apartment with him is scarier than with Penny there. Maybe it’s because there were two people making sure he didn’t stumble upon something he shouldn’t? Maybe because she’s worried she might come on too strong without a social buffer in place? Or maybe it’s because this is the first man she has had in her apartment since her violent break up?

“I know I said I was ready to call it a night, but I’m not… is that bad?”

She shoves off the door and slides onto a stool at the island. “No. Not bad per se. I suppose it depends on why.”

“I’d like the full tour for one. Those shelves have been calling to me all night.”

She chuckles and traces the veins in the island’s top. “I can do that. But one typically leads to two.”

He turns off the faucet and grabs a nearby towel to dry his hands while leaning against the counter. “There is a two, but I’m not sure now is the time.”

“If not now…?”

“Well… you’re aware that I’ve been asking questions.”

“And you’d like to ask me those questions?”

He nods. “The answers I got haven’t been bothering me. But they were just vague enough for me to have more questions.”

“She mentioned you asked about my dating history.”

“Is it too early to talk about that?”

She shakes her head. “I will warn you that this subject is chock full of bookmarks.”

“Fair enough. Mine too. Not that there’s much to speak on but… well…”

“We’ve all got baggage. Relationships, particularly the serious ones, can fuck us up almost as bad as family.”

“Speaking from experience?”

She sighs. “A little. There’s a reason Penelope thought we needed to be set up. And it’s because of me and not you.”

“How so?”

“My last relationship, which I absolutely don’t want to get into, did not end well. It never ended well. Guess I finally learned my lesson.”

“On again, off again?”

“Very. What makes it all so much worse is that he’s family… so to speak. Not related or anything. But my brothers see him as a brother. But that became a thing well after we started… dating.”

“How did they feel about it?”

She laughs. “They don’t know.”

“Oh wow.”

“Yeah. We thought it best.”

“Which in turn makes a breakup harder because you can’t talk to the people who love you unconditionally about it.”

“Not that I have ever talked about my love life with them, but yes.”

“How long had you been together?”

“This last time?” Her brows furrow as she tries to nail down the timeline. “Almost 2 years.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. When I’m serious, I really commit. And that goes for more than just dating.”

He chuckles. “You mean the BAU?”

“Yep.”

“Well, you’re in the department.”

“Now, to get on the team.”

“You’ll do it.”

She stands and moves around the island. “Any more questions about my love life?”

“Actually…”

“Ask away.”

“She said you had two boyfriends since she’s known you… what’s the uh… total?”

“Well, as I said, my last one was a repeat offender. I honestly think we were more on than off when you count up the time. The one before this last time, which also didn’t end well…”

“Do break ups ever end well?”

“They can, but touché. Anyway, that one lasted… nearly 6 months.”

“Any others?”

“Not anyone serious. I know. Shocker. Must people think I’ve had loads of boyfriends.”

“Just the two?”

“Yep. You?”

“I’ve only had two as well. But nothing… serial like yours. Both long distance. Both…”

She can see the sadness on his face. She knows that feeling. She touches his forearm. “I’m calling it. Bukkumāku. For both of us. Let’s not bring tonight down, huh?”

He nods and appreciates her ability to redirect. He smiles and covers her hand with his. “I did have a first tonight though.”

“Oh?”

“Never cuddled on a couch before.”

She smiles and runs her hand up his arm. “Mmmm. That’s one of the main reasons I didn’t want this to end. I was comfy.”

He smiles and drops the towel on the cabinet. He steps forward and wraps his arms around her shoulders. “I could tell.”

“I was worried for a bit that I made a mistake.”

“I was surprised, but ultimately fine. Made it hard to watch tv.”

“Why? I didn’t have an issue.”

“You are distracting.”

She chuckles and wraps her arms around his waist. “Well, at least you’ve seen them before.”

“True.”

She feels him check his watch. “If you need to go…”

“I should be a responsible adult and go home.”

“But?”

“I still haven’t gotten that tour.”

She laughs and breaks the hug. She takes his hand. “Come along then.” She leads him to the shelves in her office. “They are in order of common subject and/or language depending on which I find more important about the book. Not the most efficient way to organize, I know. But it makes sense to me so… yeah.”

He is completely taken over by the collection. He doesn’t even notice her beside him for a moment until her hand falls from his. She sits down in her desk chair to watch him peruse. He watches her sit and smiles when she motions to the shelf. It is an eclectic mix. The bulk of it is Folklore or Mythology based. But there are some religious texts from a multitude of religions as well as at least two shelves full of handwritten journals. “What are these?”

“Journals. Mostly Bobby’s. A few are mine. Notes on mythical creatures. A compiling of theories so to speak. It was a hobby of ours.”

He chuckles. “Like finding the similarities and crossovers with other cultures?”

“Pretty much.”

“Sounds fun.”

“It was.”

“Was?”

“Doesn’t have the same shine on it that it used to.”

He nods. “I feel that way about chess sometimes.”

“Something you did with Gideon?” He nods. “I keep bringing him up. Sorry.”

“Well, I keep bringing up Bobby. So, I guess we’re even.” He reaches for a large book and pulls it down. “Is this the textbook?”

She smiles. “Yep. Harvard doesn’t mess around when it comes to books.”

“And you read it in one day?”

“I bet you could read it in less time.”

He chuckles. “I can. It would be unfair to take your money.”

“But wouldn’t I be winning if you took the bet since you would be finishing it in less time than I did?”

He sets the book on her desk. “As they say, the house always wins.”

“And this is my house.”

“Exactly.”

Both of their phones go off and they retrieve them. It a text from Penelope.

_Made it home. Be responsible._

They both chuckle and put their phones away. “She is right.”

She groans. “I just hate that.”

“I can’t stay here forever. And I am pretty tired.”

She hops out of her office chair and takes his hand. “Then don’t let me guilt you into staying longer. I can see that you’re not just saying that. It’s written all over your face. Come on. Let’s get your stuff together.”

He snags the textbook as she leads him through the apartment. She plants him by the coat rack. “Stay there. I will get your cookies.”

“I get cookies?”

“Leftovers. I’ve eaten too much crap as it is. And I will eat those too if they are left here. I should actually probably go for a run in the morning.”

He looks up at her while tying his shoes. “Speaking of morning, are we riding together again?”

“We can. Puts a kink in my whole running plan.”

“I’m sure you’ll work it off in training tomorrow.”

“Maybe. Not sure exactly what UCR training involves as I’m already field trained.”

“The reason I ask is I wanted to maybe have lunch with you.”

“Lunch sounds nice. In fact, I know just the place. We can start your verbal lessons then.”

“Super.”

She chuckles and offers him his scarf. “Don’t sound too excited.”

“If we are practicing Japanese, that likely means chop sticks.”

She laughs and shakes her head as he shrugs on his coat. “I told you. I am an excellent teacher.”

“Even so, I might be a horrible student.”

“Says the man with 3 doctorates and 3 bachelor’s degrees.”

“Fair point.” He slings his bag over his shoulder and puts her book inside it. “I’m glad you got her to agree to let me join you.”

“I wonder if I can convince her to let it be permanent. At least on the Sundays we watch _Doctor Who_.”

“I hope so.”

“I will work on it.”

They both head for the door and she unlocks it. She opens it and turns to face him. “Yes. I will pick up in the morning. I just might have to get my run in beforehand.”

“It probably won’t be near as long as the one from the train station to the office.”

“True, but if I can get the cardio level high enough it won’t matter.”

He shakes his head. “That is something you and I will never have in common.”

“Well, no couple is perfect.” They both smile brightly and then simultaneously step into a hug. Her arms around his neck, his around her waist with his hands pressed into her back. They squeeze tightly. He feels her twirl the ends of his hair at the back of his neck. He shifts his hand up to do the same to the end of her ponytail.

She sighs and very reluctantly loosens her grip. If she doesn’t let him go now, she will never let him leave. Plus, she can feel her self-control waning and she doesn’t want to push her luck any more than she already has. He backs out the door once they’ve fully separated.

“Goodnight, Dani.”

She gives him a small wave while leaning on the edge of the open door. “Goodnight. Drive safe.”

“You too.” He scratches his neck as he blushes and chuckles. “I mean… in the morning.”

“Uh huh.” She slowly starts to close the door. “I will see you bright and early.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Bye.”

He smiles and waves. “Bye.”

She shakes her head. “I’m waiting for you to start walking towards the elevator.”

He laughs. “I was waiting for you close the door.”

She smirks. “Meet halfway?”

“Uh. Sure?”

She closes the door most of the way but sticks her head out so she can see the elevator. He nods catching on. He chuckles and they smile at each other while he waits. The doors ding and open. He steps in a they wave at each other as the doors close. When they do, she closes the door and locks it. She sets the alarm and skips over the window that looks down at the street. She isn’t sure he will circle the block after leaving the parking garage, but she hopes he will. Sure enough, she sees his car park on the street. He doesn’t turn it off to step out of wave up at her. She smiles and waves back. He smiles brightly, gets back in his car, and drives away.

She feels like a teenager again. Though even as a teen she never behaved this way. All giddy and giggly. With the extended goodbyes and the adorkable exchanges. Her relationships have had a huge sexual element. That’s not to say she hasn’t felt true emotional connection, just that they were… heated. The officially start was usually sex or resulted in it the same night. She is enjoying this change of pace. As fast as it is moving, she feels more connected to him in this short than she ever did with the others. It may have eventually led here, but it was never this easy. Getting to know them was like pulling teeth sometimes and it was likely vice versa.

She shakes her head and practically skips around her apartment shutting off lights. She removes her bra, plugs in her phone, and crawls into bed. She shoots of good night texts to both of them. After getting responses, she flops around until she settles on her stomach. She hugs her pillow to her face and falls asleep faster than she thought she would.


	8. Crash Course

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of Halloween month, I am posting a chapter early/posting two this month! Happy Gublerween! And Happy Halloween lol!

He is up once again before his alarm. The first thing he does is fire off a text.

_Good morning. Did you go for a run?_

Then he gets up to start his morning routine. Halfway through getting dressed he receives a text. Not once in his life has he reached for his phone so quickly. Pants still unzipped, no shirt on. Seeing her name on his screen makes him smile.

_Nope._

He chuckles. Given her past behavior, he finds that hard to believe. She went running after their first date and she ate significantly less junk than they did last night. He smirks and shoots off his response.

_I somehow find that hard to believe._

He continues to get ready for the day, fighting the urge to lunge for his phone when her response comes through. He is about to put on his shoes when it goes off again. He can’t resist a second time. It is a picture of her, hair all over the place, eyes barely open, one strap of her tank top hanging off her barely visible shoulder. Followed by a text.

_Getting in the shower. Be at your place in 20._

_See you then._

He finds himself really studying the fuzzy picture she sent. Not that it is her fault it is fuzzy. The image quality on his brick phone is not good at all by today’s standards. He wasn’t even aware he could receive picture messages. This is definitely a nice way to find out. This is also a point in the favor of modern cellphones. If his were up to date, he would get the full effect of the photo. Be able to find minute details within it. As it stands, he’s trying to analyze a grainy, dark image. Still, with an image to study, he can further commit her to memory. To pull up whenever he wants. The phone goes off in his hand,

_Walking out the door._

And he launches off his bed and quickly resumes getting ready. He double checks that his parking pass is still in his bag and that her book in there as well, not that he really has to check as the massive tome really stresses that it is. He retrieves his travel mug from its spot by the sink and hurries out of his apartment.

The door to her car opens as he approaches. He quickly places his bag in the back seat and buckles. Her hand waits for him on the seat and he wastes no time lacing his fingers in hers. She smiles over at him, “Morning.”

“Morning.”

“Coffee?”

“Definitely.”

And she starts driving. Not another word is spoken. They simply sit in silence just enjoying each other’s company and the sound of the wind moving past the windows. The only times their hands separate is to get out of the car, pay for their coffee, prepare said coffee, and when they arrive at the office. He likes that they don’t have to fill the silence. That they can just be near each other and have their moods elevated. That she is comfortable enough around him to hum to herself when a song she likes comes on. Which is actually quite often since it is her playlist after all.

When they pull into his parking space, he reaches of his bag, fishes out the plastic parking pass and slides it onto the dash. She grumbles about leaving Roxy exposed before sliding out the car. He just smiles and offers her travel mug. She takes it and they both slide out of the car. He locks his door and closes it after getting his bag. Then she does something he isn’t expecting. She reaches into the back seat and retrieves a black suit jacket.

“Trying to look more professional?”

“Huh?”

He points. “The jacket.”

“Oh. Yeah. Uh… they said I didn’t need to since I’m a hacker, but uh… feels weird to walk-through white-collar crimes in my usual get up. I almost went full fed suit, but it didn’t feel right.”

“On level 3?”

She nods. “Yeah. You didn’t hear that from me though.”

“I won’t say a word.” She grabs her backpack and sets it in the front seat. She sets her mug on the ground, puts the jacket on, grabs the plastic id badge from her backpack and clips it to the bottom of the jacket. He notices that she is armed and her badge is clipped to her waist. “Not sure what to expect I take it?”

She shakes her head. “Thought it best to err on the side of a typical day of office work.”

“Seems smart. Though aren’t you training today?”

“Yes. But I get the impression it will be mostly protocol.” He nods. She locks her door, slings the backpack over one shoulder, “I came prepared for pretty much anything.” She pats the bag and then grabs her coffee from the ground. She closes the car door and they start walking towards the building. They walk in silence as they scan their id badges and head for the elevator. No one else is in there when the doors close. “So, we still on for lunch?”

“Think you’ll have time?”

“As I said, I’m expecting an ‘at my desk all day’ kind of day. So, yes. Unless you get a case.”

“I will keep you posted.”

The doors open on 3 and she starts walking out. “I will see you at lunch then.”

He wants to hug her goodbye, but since they are in the building now and there are witnesses within line of sight, he holds himself back. He just waves to her as the doors close.

The hours pass with nothing exciting to note. She has books to read, he has case files to read. No cases rear their ugly heads for either one of them. She manages to write an email to her old team. Thanking them for being awesome and that she will miss them. That she isn’t one for long goodbyes, but she is sorry that this happened so fast that she didn’t get to say it to their faces. She wishes them well and offers to get drinks when things calm down. She checks her phone and, having not received a message from him all day, she finds a stopping place in her reading to go to lunch. The other agents in the UCR office are also taking lunch at this time so it seems appropriate.

He has been looking at his phone more often than he usually does. Not to check for messages. He knows she’ll be busy, but to look at the picture she sent. He is curious as to why she sent it. Most people assume he can’t even get pictures, himself included. She’s also never sent him a picture before now. Or even taken one with him. It is probably smart though. They aren’t really committed, no official label. Simply dating. Nothing they’d need to file paperwork for. Which is probably for the best given her desire to be promoted. Though…

There is a big part of him that wants to get the picture printed and framed. To put on his desk like other agents do with their families. It seems like a normal thing to do. To have a framed portrait of his significant other staring at him all day. But it goes back to the fraternization rules. She is officially a junior agent in his department. He outranks her and any promotion could be viewed in a negative light.

He wants something normal. A relationship he can be himself in while also being able to actually see and touch the person. To share tales of their weekend or dates with his friends and co-workers. He can see that happening with her. He wants that to happen with her. But for the sake of their jobs, it can’t happen in the office. He knows his team has his back, that they care about him. Derek, and even JJ whenever she gets back, would be all too happy to hear him rave about his time with her. He knows that they’d keep their mouths shut as far as the brass is concerned.

He also knows that every relationship is risky in this job. Gideon and Sarah, as well as Hotch and Haley, come to mind. Both women were killed because of their relationship with them. He does not want that for Dani. But if anyone can handle an unsub coming after her, its’s her.

He doesn’t know why his mind is taking him there. Maybe it’s because both of his girlfriends were victims. Not because of him. Well, indirectly. He was involved in both of their cases, but he was not the reason they were targeted. Just the reason…. He shakes his head. It’s best not to think about that. Though, he could stand to talk to someone about it. Get it off his chest and out of his head. It seems to be a pattern of his though. Happiness for him usually comes with a downside.

“Knock, knock.”

He smiles as he looks up from the case file in front of him to find her leaning on his desk. She looks more like herself, meaning no suit jacket. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself. You at a stopping place?”

“I can be.”

“Cool. I’ll just…”

“Winchester!”

They both look up to see Hotch leaning out of his office door. “Better see what that’s about.”

“How’d he even know you were here?” She shrugs and shoves off his desk.

“Guess I’m about to find out.”

“Good luck.”

She heads towards his office. “I had a hunch you might be up here.”

“You need me for something?”

“Yes, actually. Come in, close the door.” She nods and does as instructed. “Have a seat.” She sits. “First. I need your credentials.”

She pulls the creds from her pocket. “That sounds ominous.”

He chuckles. “Sorry. Not my intention.” He takes them from her and drops them into his open desk drawer. He smiles and pulls out a second set. “You passed.”

She practically snatches them from his hands. “No shit?! Really?” She opens the black bifold and sees the words she’s been waiting for. Supervisory Special Agent Danielle Winchester. Behavior Analysis Unit. She sits back in the chair and runs her fingers along the freshly printed letters.

“With flying colors, I might add. Congrats.”

“Excuse my language. And thank you.”

“Still can’t get you on the team. Yet. But Cruz and I are working on special requirements.”

“Special requirements?” She hasn’t looked up from her new creds this whole time.

“We want you sooner, rather than later. I need to work on the budget, but that’s not an issue. Exceptions will still need to be made. I doubt you can get ten years’ worth of experience in a short amount of time.”

She smirks and finally looks up. “Well, I’ve already got 4, going on 5.”

He smiles in response. “True. We will be watching your work with UCR closely. Well, as closely as they will let us.”

“And when you both think it’s time, I’ll move back up here?”

“Correct.”

“Then I better get busy.”

He glances towards his open blinds and then back. “There will be one piece of paperwork we need to do before you get here.”

She nods. “If there’s anything to report, we will be sure to do that.”

“Then, that’s all I needed. Congrats, again.”

She smiles brightly. “Thank you.” She takes that as a dismissal and leaves his office. She goes back to his desk, which is significantly more organized, and drops the creds on his desk. “Oops. So sorry. Must have tripped”

He smiles at her and then looks to see what she dropped. His smile brightens and he scoops it up. “You passed!”

“Naturally.”

He offers the black bifold and she takes it from him and shoves it in her pocket. “Never doubted it for a second.”

“Ready?”

“Yep.”

She smiles. “Well, get your coat, Boy Wonder. I’m taking you to lunch.” He gets up and grabs his coat and scarf from the back of his chair. “Which means I’m buying.”

“I understand.”

They ride down the elevator and go through the lobby in silence. She unlocks the passenger door when they get to her car and moves around to the driver’s side. He is already buckled when she gets in. She speeds out of the parking lot. Once on the road, free and clear of witnesses, they both reach over at the same time to take each other’s hand. She has no qualms with driving one handed. Which means she would likely be driving anywhere they go, which she is totally fine with. There are two places in the world that make her feel at home. One is in front of a computer screen, then other is behind the wheel. She glances over at him when she feels his thumb run along her index finger. “Something on your mind?”

“Always.”

“You know what I mean.”

“It’s nothing really.”

“Are you worried about what I might think in regard to your thoughts?”

“A little. I haven’t really formulated the thought fully so…”

“Then I will wait until you have.”

She pulls into a fairly empty parking lot. The sign is in both English and Japanese. “You brought me to a sushi place?”

She laughs at the disgusted expression on his face. “Not a fan?”

They both get out of the car. He takes her hand as they approach the door. “Never had it, but I actively avoid chopsticks.”

She laughs again and opens the door. The hostess clearly knows her and they both launch into Japanese as soon as they walk in. They bow to each by bending at the waist. The hostess bends slightly lower than Dani. He doesn’t understand a single word. He can, however, read the signs that are hanging around. She gestures to him and he hears his name. The hostess bows to him and he awkwardly returns it. They exchange a few more sentences before being led to a table. He hears Dani thank the hostess. He smiles because he understood at least that much.

She pushes the menu toward him. “How you holding up?”

“I understood one word out of that whole exchange.”

“Was it your name?”

He chuckles. “Two words.”

“Well, that’s a start. Give that a read and see how you do.” He picks up the menu and sees that it is a mix of all three written methods. He nods.

“I see why you wanted me to learn all three.”

“It’s necessary.” She points to something on his menu. “This one’s my favorite, but it might be a little advanced for a first timer.”

He reads the ingredients. “Uh. Yeah. Too advanced.” He finishes reading the menu. He is so nervous about this. He closes the menu and looks at her. “Maybe I should let you control this.”

“You trust me that much, huh?”

“I do.”

She smiles. “They all speak English here, but they just love it when I come in.”

“Well, they get to speak their native language.”

“Exactly. I get a killer discount. I’ll keep it simple and safe. We’ll work up to the good stuff.”

“Ok.” 

A waitress comes up and he recognizes the words for “Two waters.” She orders miso soup and edamame and the waitress scurries off. “Pick up anything?”

“Food items mostly.”

“Hey, that’s a start. I’m wasn’t expecting you to get that much.”

“Thanks.”

She laughs. “I didn’t mean it like that. Just that you haven’t really heard these words before. I’ll translate anything you want me to later.”

“That’s actually a smart way to do this. For people like us anyway. We’ll remember everything, even if we don’t understand it.”

She nods. “Then it’ll be easy to translate it later. This might be the hardest, but fastest language you’ve ever learned.”

“You are absolutely right. You get how my mind works. It may have taken much longer otherwise.”

The waitress sets the waters, soups, a bowl of green pods, and an empty bowl on the table. Spencer reaches for his drink as soon as it gets set down and she shakes her head. She and the waitress have a little exchange. Dani bows her head and presses her palms together. She says something and the waitress leaves. “What was that?”

“Sorry. I guess you’re also getting a crash course in dining etiquette.”

“Explain it to me then.”

“Ok. So, as the person receiving the food, I need to wait for permission to begin. That was what she gestured,” she demonstrates by hold her hand flat, palm up, and touching the table with her middle finger. “Even if you don’t know what she said, that’s the indicator to start. Then you respond as I did.”

“Maybe a crash course wasn’t the best idea.”

She chuckles. “We’re not in Japan, so if you mess up, it’s fine. They are used to it by now. They’ve changed a lot since they opened a couple years ago. For instance, they now have a menu with both English and Japanese. It’s standard for them to hand it out, but I specifically asked for this one.” She gestures for him to begin. “As my guest, I invite you to eat first. Now this is super formal, in a comfortable setting we wouldn’t have to go through this, but no better time to learn.”

He presses his palms together like he’s praying. He dips his head and is certain he butchered the phrase. She smiles and uncovers the bowl in front of her. He copies her movements. But when she reaches for chopsticks, he scoffs. “It’s soup. How are you going to use chopsticks?”

“Like this.” She slurps the soup right from the bowl and scrapes a piece of tofu into her mouth. She sets the bowl down and points to the spoon. “There’s also a spoon.”

He blushes. “Oh. I didn’t see that before. And what’s that?”

“Edamame. Steamed soybeans.” She grabs a pod and sucks out one of the beans. Once she has eaten them all from the pod, she drops the empty shell into the empty bowl. This first course is easy enough. No need for chopsticks and he finds that he really enjoys the soup and beans. He sees her prepare the empty dishes on the table. Replacing the lid on the soup bowl, setting the bowl of empty pods in the newly emptied bowl, setting the ends of her chopsticks on the ceramic stand, and then placing the soup spoon on top of the little ring on the lid. He mimics her. And she smiles at how quickly he’s catches on. The waitress takes the dishes away and comes back to refill their waters. He watches the way she does it. One hand on the handle of the pitcher, the second on the bottom and slowly tips it over to fill their glasses. Dani places an order and recognizes some of the words from his reading. “You seem to be enjoying this. Or am I reading you wrong?”

He smiles at her. She sounds a little concerned. He pats the table and she brings her hand to rest in his. “I’m having a great time. Food and education. What could be better?” She smiles brightly and pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. “I am concerned about the next course.”

“Don’t be.”

“I mentioned I can’t use chopsticks.”

“Do you trust me?”

“You know that I do.”

“Then stop worrying and just enjoy yourself.”

He smiles. “Easier said than done.”

She smiles and the waitress comes over with dishes in her hands. She pulls her hand out of his. Nothing that is set in the middle of the table looks too scary. Except maybe the shiny pieces of raw fish on little balls of rice. And the absence of a fork. The waitress gestures and he is quick to respond. She smiles brightly and backs away from the table. Dani beams at him and he is over come with a sense of pride at mastering something so simple. “So, how do I… go about eating this?”

He watches her pour soy sauce into her little bowl. She offers it to him and he copies her movements exactly. It works much like the waitress pouring the water. Then he eyes the thin pieces of wood. She smiles and leans forward. “Did you know that in Japan it is perfectly acceptable to use your fingers when eating a roll?” She reaches forward and plucks a piece of sushi. She dips it in the sauce and pops the whole thing into her mouth. He smiles and grabs the same type, correctly assuming that’s where she wants him to start. He inspects it, examining the contents inside the rolled rice. “You don’t have a shellfish allergy I hope.”

“Nope.”

“It’s just crabmeat, cucumber, and avocado.”

He dips it and sticks the whole thing in his mouth. He is surprised that something so simple could taste so good. “Oh wow.”

“I know right. That’s a California Roll. Super basic. Perfect for beginners.”

He points to a different roll. “That one looks very similar.”

“It is. Tempura shrimp, cucumber, cream cheese, and avocado. Aptly named the Tempura Roll.”

He tries that next and again finds that he likes it. “Simple, but delicious.”

“That’s a common theme. This is my favorite one for the beginners.” She picks up a piece from the third roll. It is by far the most colorful. “Inside there’s shrimp tempura, cream cheese, and crab. On top we’ve got more crab and then it’s covered in four sauces. Soy sauce is definitely not required for that one.”

“What are the sauces?”

“Spicy mayo, wasabi sauce, sriracha, and eel sauce. Which doesn’t have eel in it, so don’t worry.”

“That sounds spicy.”

“It’s actually not that bad.”

“I’m actually good with spicy. I love Indian food.”

“You’ll have to take me out for some sometime.”

“It’s a date.”

They smile and continue to eat. He points to the pile on the side of the plates. “What are those?”

“Oh! The pink stuff is ginger. It’s a palate cleanser. I never use it, but a lot of people do. The green is wasabi. If you want that, you use a chopstick to scoop up a little drop and put it onto of whatever you’re eating. If you like spicy, you might like it. It has a little kick to it.”

He tries it on the California roll and smiles. “I like that.”

“Then have at it. I’m not a fan.”

As the rolls start to vanish, he motions to the four pieces by her. “And those?”

She smirks. “Think you’re ready to move up to level 2 in this sushi course?” He shrugs. “Well, this is a tradition for me. I love both of these and they aren’t as scary as they look. However, traditionally you have to eat them with chopsticks. But I won’t tell if you don’t.” Using her chopsticks, she moves a piece with light pink and white fish to her little plate and sets it on its side. She picks it up again and dips the fish into the sauce. “It’s rude to shake off the excess by the way.” He nods. “This is a salmon sushi. Sake.” She places it in her mouth fish side down. Her closes her eyes and hums.

“Good?”

She nods. “Brave enough to try it?”

“What’s the dark red one?”

“Tuna.”

He picks up the chopsticks and attempts to grab the salmon. He grumbles and she pushes back from the table. She leans in beside him and takes his hand. She positions the sticks and provides a few tips. “Make a bunny with your fingers. This first stick rests on top of the bunny’s head, in front of the ears. It rests on the side of the ring finger and in the curve of your thumb. This one doesn’t move so, lock it in with your thumb. The other one is held sort of like a pencil, with your index and middle fingers. To open them, raise your middle finger. Just like that. And to close, lower your index. Use your thumb as a pivot.” She looks over at him. Her face it inches from his. “Want to try it on a roll first?” He nods. Her hand guides him and he successfully picks up a piece, dips it, and eats. She smiles. “Very good.”

He smirks. “Yatta.” He reaches forward and struggles to pick up the salmon piece. She helps him and he gets it onto his plate. He flips it like she showed him. She helps him pick it up again. Once he has it, she lets go of his hand and watches him focus to dip and then hesitantly stick it in his mouth. She watches his face as he chews. She is still very close to him. He swallows and look over at her.

“Well?”

“It’s not what I expected.”

“Which means?”

“It’s a texture I’ll have to get used to, but it tasted great.”

She smiles. “Only one more thing to try.” He adjusts his chopsticks and she stands up straighter to watch. He struggles but manages to grab the sushi, move it to his plate, flip it, dip it, and eat it unassisted. He smiles to at her. She ruffles his hair. “Salmon is better in my opinion.”

“I’d have to agree.”

She chuckles. “You’ve got soy sauce on your lip.” He turns in his seat to face her as she stands next to him.

“Do you want to help me out?”

She smiles and licks her lips. She has the strongest desire the just lick it off. To kiss him. He’d be powerless to stop her. But still she has some hesitation about moving too fast with him. She can tell that sometimes he wants to touch her. Hold her hand, caress her arm, put his arm around her shoulders. Her eyes shift between his eyes and his lips. The little drop of liquid is still there. He could easily just lick it off. And he licks his lips so often that she really doesn’t need to help him. She is fighting a battle in her head. She wants to kiss him, so desperately her chest hurts, but she also doesn’t know if he’s ready for that. And the last thing she wants to do to scare him off. She really likes him. More than she’s liked anymore in a long time. 

The corner of his mouth twitches. He can see the micro-expressions dancing on her face. Concern, desire, fear, longing. An internal debate. He isn’t bold enough to make the first move. He’s never been that person. At least not when it came to his personal life. The job is one thing. He is confident in his skills there. He could count the number of women who he’s kissed on one hand. And one of them was an UnSub. Lila. Austin. Diane. Remembering that the most recent kiss to date was the woman who killed Maeve makes him want Dani to kiss him that much more. 

He tastes the salty liquid as he licks his lip. Damn it. There goes her excuse. He sees it register. Saved by a habit he can’t control. He reaches forward and takes her hands to prevent her from taking that step back. He slowly stands but keeps a hold of her hands to keep her from moving away. He can hear his heartbeat in his ears. He has no idea where this bravery is coming from. Her green flecked hazel eyes are glued to his face. He has never made the first move. Never. Not where it counted at least. He runs his hands up her arms and she closes what little space there is between them. It is an invitation. Whatever debate she had been having with herself was solved by his decision to act. To grab hold of this moment before it slips away.

She remains completely still after stepping forward. Arms hanging limply at her sides as if any movement from her would scare him off. Make him chicken out. Her whole-body tingles with anticipation. It is begging her to just take control. To press up a little on her toes to cover the six inches it would take to be his height. Her lips part the let out her air. His eyes flicker down. His hands feel impossibly slow as he runs them up her arms and across her shoulders. They stop on either side of her neck. His thumbs lightly caress the edge of her jaw. They brush her chin and her head tilts back. The wait is killing her. Her chest rises and falls quickly as the need builds. 

His hands are shaking. Her body language is screaming yes. Her eyes are practically pleading with him now. He’s come this far. There was no way he is backing out now. His hands begin to move again. Further up. There are only two sounds in his ears at this moment. His racing pulse and the tiny whimper that escapes her parted lips as his hands cup her face. Her eyes close and he moves in. Her warm breath brushes his face. He bends down further and his lips graze hers. At that moment, her willpower snaps. She closes that tiny distance and their faces collide. Her arms wrapped around his waist and pulls him flush to her body. His lips are soft and the light stubble on his face gives it a touch of contrast. It takes him a moment to recover from her sudden movement. But when he does, his lips move against hers. He doesn’t care that they are in the middle of a restaurant. He doesn’t care that he can taste soy sauce on her mouth. He feels her tongue drag across his bottom lip and he can’t help but start laughing.

He rests his forehead on hers. She feels her laugh more than he hears her. He opens his eyes and leans his head back. Hers falls forward to rest on his chin. He brushes her brown curls behind her ears and she looks up. “Do you… want to get out of here?”

“Yes.” She slips from his grasp and pulls the wallet from her pocket. He moves to stop her. She bats his hand away. “In Japanese culture, the person who invited the other pays.”

“Alright. But do you even know how much to give?”

She drops a hundred-dollar bill on the table. “That should cover it.” She grabs his hand and pulls him towards the door. He laughs and shakes his head. She pauses at the passenger door to unlock it and he stands closely behind her. He has no idea what comes over him. He moves her hair out of the way and kisses the spot behind her ear. She drops her keys and softly moans. She spins in front of him and grabs hold of his tie to pull him down to her. He presses her back into the car. Her arms flying around his neck pulling him even closer. He starts to feel a little lightheaded. He pulls back and looks down at her. She is breathless and her lips are red. He wants nothing more than to continue kissing her, but this parking lot is not the place. He reaches up to remove her arms from around him. She bites her lips and pouts.

“We’re not done. Just…” he watches two cars pull into the parking lot. “This isn’t the place.” She ducks out from under his arm and heads to the driver’s side door. He bends down and picks up her keys. He tosses them to her over the top of the car before opening his door. She opens her door, sits, closes it, and shoves the key in the ignition. She grabs his tie again to quickly kiss him before starting the car and practically peeling out of the parking lot. He foregoes the seat belt and slides across the bench seat to sit right next to her. He drapes his arm over her shoulders and takes the hand she offers him with the other. She chuckles after a while. He presses his lips against her temple. “What?”

“Where are we going?”

He buries his face in her hair. “I don’t know.” She feels him inhale and then sigh. “We will have to go back to work eventually.”

She groans. “Aw come on. But we’re…” She sees signs for some park and quickly exits the highway. She finds a secluded place to park and kills the car. She turns in her seat to face him. “Look. I know this is probably not the best place for a make out session considering our line of work, but…”

His lips swallow her words. She elbows the steering wheel in her attempt to get more comfortable causing the horn to sound. She laughs and pushes him back. He’s confused by the reaction. She smiles and climbs into the back seat. She reaches forward and grabs his tie. “Come here.” She pulls him into the backseat. Once he’s back there, she pulls him down onto top of her. His messy hair falls forward and she runs her fingers through it. He looks down at her. Her ponytail is splayed out on the seat. Her lips are a little puffy now in addition to red. He wonders if he’s been kissing her too hard. 

She touches his face and his eyes meet hers. “Where’d you go?”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to know where your mind just went. You’re looking at me, but also not.”

“Oh.” He blushes. “I was just thinking about your hair and how sore your lips look.”

“Look in the mirror, sweetie.” He looks over to look at himself in her rear-view mirror. His hair is wrecked. His lips look just as red and puffy as hers. His tie is nearly completely undone. He looks back at her. “See. We match.” She smiles and he smiles back. She reaches up to pull him back down. And his phone rings. She groans.

“You know I have to take that.”

“I know.”

He sits back on the seat. Her legs are on either side of him. He pulls the phone from his pocket. He clears his throat hoping to sound normal. “Hello?”

“Where are you?”

“I went out for lunch today.”

Dani sits up and mouths. “Who is it?”

He mouths back. “Derek.”

She nods. “Well, you better get back here.”

“Why? Is there a case?”

Dani runs her nose up Spencer’s chin. He inhales sharply. “No, but you’ve been gone for two hours.”

He looks at his watch over Dani’s head. “I must have lost track. Sorry. I’ve…” Dani presses a kiss to the base of his throat. “Got a lot on my mind right now. With my mom and…” She kisses along his jaw and he struggles to suppress the sounds threatening to escape. “Everything. I’ll, uh, be back soon.”

“Alright. Better hurry before someone else notices you’re gone.”

Dani nips at his ear lobe on the side he isn’t holding the phone. “Ok, Morgan. Gotta go.” He hangs up the phone and tosses it into the front seat. He grabs her face and their lips join again. She turns him to sit in the middle of the seat and then straddles him. He moans and his head falls back against the top of the seat. She takes this opportunity to kiss his exposed neck and jaw. His hands run up her thighs and come to rest at the small of her back. Her hands move from supporting herself on the back of the seat. He feels her hands between them and sits up suddenly. His hands still hers. They are both panting. She has already managed to undo a few of the buttons on her shirt. “Wait.”

“What?”

“I… we… shit.” His head falls back against the seat, but he keeps ahold of her hands. His head is spinning. Likely from lack of oxygen and maybe a little bit due to the direction his blood flow is currently going. “I can’t. Not yet.”

She looks down at herself and back up at him. She laughs. “Oh. No. I wasn’t… I’m hot, Spence. I have a shirt on under this. See?” She pulls a hand free to lift the front of her shirt that has come loose from her waistband due to all their moving around. He clearly sees black fabric. He nods.

“Still. I feel like it needs to be said.”

She pulls her other hand free and runs both of them through his hair in an attempt to calm him and tame it. “Spencer. In all seriousness here, I would fuck you right now without hesitation if you wanted to,” he shifts beneath her and looks away. She grabs his chin and makes him look at her, “but I know you aren’t ready. I can feel it in your body. The slight hesitation when you’re trying to figure out where to put your hands. The reluctance to touch me more than those little explorative touches, until this moment. I will never pressure you. I might tease or tempt, but I will never pressure or force you to do anything you aren’t 100% comfortable with. We already have a safe word if that helps.”

He chuckles. “We need a safe word now?”

She nods. “If it ever gets to be too much, if you aren’t ready, just say the word.”

“Which is?”

She smirks. “I think you know. This is no different from a conversation. There just aren’t words.”

He nods. “Bukkumāku.”

“Exactly.” She rolls out of his lap and sits beside him on the backseat. They sit there looking at each other for a few minutes. “So?”

“So?”

“I suppose I should take you back to work now.”

He sighs and nods. She sits up on her knees and starts running her hands through his hair. He laughs. “What are you doing?”

She smirks. “Well, unless you want to look like you’ve been rolling around in a car all afternoon, then we need to get you fixed up.”

“Good point. Especially since Derek was looking for me.” He adjusts his shirt and tie. She fixes her own shirt, tucking it into her pants. She also pulls the ponytails from her hair and attempts to get it back under control.

He grins and crawls back into the front seat. He pulls his phone out of the floorboard. She climbs over the seat and goes to start the car. She laughs and reaches down to pick up the keys out of the floor. She pulls out of the park and back onto the highway. She feels him move to sit beside her. She glances to see him putting on the middle seat belt before leaning over to his rest head on her shoulder. She reaches over and ruffles his hair. He presses her hand to his jaw.

“I don’t want to go back to work.”

“I know. But I’m only a few floors down. Plus, I’m your ride home, so you’ll see me in a few hours.”

“3 floors are too far away for my liking right now.”

She stops at a red light and quickly turns her head to kiss his forehead. “We can pick it up where we left off tonight?”

He smirks and nuzzles the side of her face as the light turns green. “That could be fun.”

Now that the barrier has been broken, Spencer has turned into a very touchy creature. He moves her hair and nuzzles his face against her neck. She sighs and grips the steering wheel tightly. He releases her hand and it flies to join the other on the wheel. She shivers as his breath sends chills up her spine. He moves closer to her and kisses up the side of her neck. He kisses the spot behind her ear and she swerves into the other lane causing a car to lay on its horn. He chuckles in her ear.

Her breath comes out in little huffs as he continues to kiss her neck, ear, and shoulder. She’s never had a problem driving, but she feels like she is going to crash at any moment if he doesn’t stop. She feels like she is being held hostage by him. He knows she is having to fight to focus on driving and she’s powerless to stop him while fighting of her own desire to participate. His hand comes to rest on her mid-thigh and she shouts. “Bukkumāku!”

He instantly moves away from her. He holds out his hand and she takes it. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“Do you want to discuss why you…”

“I’m driving for one. You managed to find one of my spots and… I became over stimulated. I don’t want to kill us so…”

He nods and he lets her heart rate return to normal before talking again. “So… I’m sure you know I have… insecurities.”

She nods. “Don’t we all?”

“Yeah, but… I haven’t had the best luck with women. Any luck really. Either I fail at it miserably, or it never gets off the ground, or for one reason or another it just doesn’t pan out. I worry that you won’t like… what you see.”

She pulls the car into his parking spot and kills the engine. She turns to look at him. “Spencer. I…”

“You don’t need to say anything. I just wanted you to know where my head is at.” She nods seeing that he clearly doesn’t want to get into it. 

“Well, if you want to continue this conversation later as well, I’m game.”

He grabs his coat, scarf, and bag from the backseat. “We should go.”

She nods and takes her keys out of ignition. She gives her reflection a once over. He tucks a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

He smiles. “I’m going to have a hard time focusing on the rest of the day.”

She smiles, grabs his tie, and pulls him into a long kiss, before releasing him. A big goofy smile spreads across his face. He gets out of the car. She follows suit and they head inside. The elevator is empty once again and as it slows to stop on 3, she grabs his face and plants another kiss on his lips. “See you when the shift is over.” He smiles and waves as she leaves him breathless in the elevator.

He is beaming. Nothing can impact his mood right now. Which also means he’s going to have a hard time hiding this from anyone. That goofy smile is just plastered on his face. Derek is waiting at his desk when he arrives.

“Hey now. Someone looks happy.”

“I happen to have had a very successful lunch.”

“Successful, huh?”

He smiles and nods as he reaches for a case file. “I happen to have successfully used chopsticks.”

Derek laughs. “Lunch date with Dani, huh?”

“Yep. We had sushi and she taught me some Japanese.”

“Japanese? Didn’t know she spoke Japanese.”

“Among others. I asked her to teach me.”

He nods. “Thus, those stacks of books you’ve been pouring over.”

“Yep. Did you need something?”

“Nope. Just checkin’ in. Seeing how it’s going.”

“It’s going great.”

“Come on now. Is that all I get?”

“This isn’t something we should talk about at the office.”

“Fair enough. Trying to keep it under wraps for now. I get it.”

He licks his lips and smiles. “Besides, there’s not much to tell.”

“Your hair says otherwise, but I’ll let it go, lover boy.” They both share a smile before Derek goes back to his office.


	9. Trauma and Longing

Dani sighs while studying her briefing. She had been looking forward to resuming the end of their date. The making out and the conversation, but her first assignment trumps that. She should tell him in person. The op doesn’t start until later, but it’s deep undercover. Meaning no phones. No contact with the outside world. Until an arrest is made or they pull her out, Dani Winchester doesn’t exist. She is supposed to meet back here a few hours after the shift ends. Which means taking him home and then coming right back. She hates to leave Roxy in the parking lot for that long, but the train would take too long. She mulls it over while twirling her keys around her finger.

“Winchester.”

She looks up at the agent that has come to stand by her desk. She smiles. “Mathews, right?”

He smirks. “Did the fat lip me away?”

“No. I recognized you from the bout and you’re not Summers, so…”

“Smart.”

“What can I do for you?”

“I’m your partner on this op.”

“Oh. Well, at least I know how you fight.”

“Shouldn’t need to, but I agree.” He grabs a nearby chair. “How you feelin’ about this?”

She shrugs. “Seems pretty straight forward.”

He nods. “Then what were you thinking about so hard?”

She chuckles and jingles her keys. “What to do with my car. I’m a bit overprotective of her. I don’t really want to leave her up here unattended for…. However long this takes.”

“That’s easy. I was going to suggest picking you up anyway. Because there’s been a slight change of plans. Nothing major, just need to travel a little further to get started.”

“Which means airport. Definitely not comfortable leaving her there. So, I will gladly accept the ride.”

“Great. I’m ready to go. So, I’ll follow you home?”

“Uh. Sure. I just need to take a friend home first.”

“How about you lead me to your place, I’ll park, then you take your friend home, then you can come back?”

“Perfect. A little weird, but whatever.”

“Just trying to help you out.”

“Which I appreciate and why I’m not going to make a thing out this.”

“Which you shouldn’t. We’re partners. Gotta trust each other.”

“Right.”

“If you’re not into that, you could just send me your address and I’ll meet you there.”

“I like that better. No sense in two people driving like I do.”

He laughs. “Alright.” She grabs a sticky note from a drawer and quickly scribbles down her address and offers it to him. He reads it and nods. “Meet you there.”

“When’s the flight?”

“10 pm. Gives you a few more hours to get someone to look in on your pets.”

“Don’t have any. So that’s easy.”

“I’ll come get you around 8:30.”

She looks at her watch. It is almost 5 now. If traffic is kind, she can get home in an hour or less. That’s at least 2 hours she didn’t think she would have. “8:30 it is then.”

He nods and places a flash drive on her desk. “The new details. Shouldn’t take you too long to get caught up.”

She takes it and sticks it into her computer. “I’ll get right on it.”

He doesn’t say anything else before walking off. She downloads the files and then loads them onto a tablet. She can study them at home or on the plane. She pulls the go bag from under her desk and places the tablet inside. She decides to get an early start and puts her suit jacket and backpack on. She shuts her computer down, snags her go bag, and heads for the elevator. Mathews is there when she arrives. She hits the up button and he raises an eyebrow.

“My friend is on an upper floor.”

He nods and doesn’t respond. The doors open to go up and she quickly enters. Based on the silent judgements he’s been throwing her way, she definitely prefers Summers. She wonders if he is bitter because he was defeated 2 on 1 by a woman roughly half his size. The bullpen is largely empty when the elevator doors open. Must have been a slow day if the junior agents were cutting out a little early. She sees his messy curls bent over a book with his feet crossed underneath him on the office chair. As she approaches, she sees that her old textbook has his undivided attention. She quietly sets her go bag down and looks over his shoulder to see which chapter he is on.

“I hope you don’t think you’re sneaky.”

She chuckles. “Wasn’t trying to be.”

He pushes on the desk to spin his chair around. He smiles at her. “Judging by the bags and jacket, I would say you’re ready to go?”

“I am. There’s uh… been a change of plans.”

“The go bag tells me that. First case?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that.”

“Which I will take as confirmation. What does that change?”

“Our… continuation has been… shortened? I guess that’s the right word. At least it isn’t cancelled. We were in the middle of a very serious conversation that I very much want to finish.”

He leaves her book open on his desk before unfolding his legs and standing. He gathers his belongings. “How long do we have now?”

“I would say 3 hours from closing time. Especially if we’re trying to keep this under wraps for a while longer.”

“Getting picked up from your apartment?” She nods and he gestures for her to walk with him. “I want to add a topic to our conversation.”

“Oh?”

The elevator is full when the doors open, so they save the rest for later. Once they are out of the parking lot and on their way, he runs his hand up her arm and she takes his hand. The ride is quiet, save for the music coming through the speakers. Any topics of discussion they want to have require that they see each other. Both of them have things on their minds. Things that are relationship defining.

After she parks, she doesn’t bother putting the cover on because she is just going to have to take it back off again. Plus, leaving her car uncovered all day when she takes him to work has made her a little more comfortable just leaving her exposed. She grabs her bags from the back seat as she needs to alter the contents a bit before heading out.

They join hands as they head to the elevator. She chuckles. “Of all the days to have it worked on.”

He looks up to see a “ _Closed for maintenance_ ” sign taped to the doors. He groans. “That means 6 flights of stairs.”

“Up and down.” She squeezes his hand and chuckles. “Come on. You can do it.”

“ _We_ can do it.”

She laughs. “My ability to climb this many stairs was never in question.”

“Touché.”

She pulls her hand from his and grabs his tie. She pulls him down to kiss him. “I believe in you.”

He laughs. “Can we just go back to the car?”

She laughs, shaking her head. She sticks out her hand from him to take it again and wiggles her fingers. “Come on, lazy bones.” He takes her hand and they head for the stairs. She tries keep a slow steady pace. She could take these stairs no problem. Be up them in a flash, but she would be leaving him in the dust. And that is not the point of them going up there together.

He is a little winded when they finally get to her door. Both of them feel that precious time has been lost on this climb and will be lost again when they need to go back down. As she unlocks the door and disarms her system, he launches in.

“We should talk about… when we want to file the paperwork.”

She nods and motions for him to follow her into her bedroom. “Been thinking about that since lunch I take it?”

“Guilty. I like where we are. What we have. This go with the flow, see what happens kind of thing.”

She sets her go bag on the bed and unzips it. “As do I.” She pats the spot next to it for him to have a seat. He plops down next to her bag as she takes off her suit jacket and hangs it in the closet.

“The problem I have is that… after lunch… every time I see you, which has only been once to be fair, I wanted to kiss you right away. I’ve kind of also been fantasizing about that too, if I’m being honest. But that can’t happen. There are rules and regulations against fraternization. And I don’t want to be the reason you don’t get promoted or one of us gets fried.”

She quickly glances at the files on the tablet. She locks the screen, drops it on the bed, and starts trading out most of the clothes in her bag, particularly the jeans and flannel, for anything black. Pants, t-shirt, button ups. She opts to leave more tactical looking items behind as well. “Which would probably be me since you have been an agent for much longer and your value to the FBI is likely higher. Not to say I’m not a great agent, because I am, but I’m not on a super important team… yet.” She smirks. “And technically the whole BAU team is already breaking those rules.”

“How so?”

She opens her safe and puts her creds and badge inside. Which strikes him as odd, but there must be a reason for it. She pulls a silver gun from the safe and sets it next to her bag. “Fraternization in the workplace isn’t just limited to sexual or romantic relationships. It covers strong friendships too. You’re the godfather of JJ’s kids, right?” He nods, assuming Penelope has told her as much. “Technically speaking that would also be fraternization. There is a loophole, however.”

“Oh?”

She removes her belt and slides her gun and holster off. “It could be argued that fraternization is only a problem when it’s between a supervisor and subordinate. Who’s to say there’s a problem between two consenting adults of equal rank? Look at when Penny dated Kevin. As far as rank is concerned, they are equals and they work in the same department.” She turns back to her open safe and places the gun inside. She grabs a few loaded magazines and sets them in her bag, which only serves to peak his curiousity further. Why does she need so much ammunition?

“That’s a good point.”

“And I am an SSA now. Thus, we are the same rank.” She closes the safe and returns to the bag.

“True, but there’s another technicality that will likely hang us up.”

She runs down a mental check list before zipping it. “Which is?”

“Your actual position. Though you are the highest-ranking agent in the pool, you are still technically my subordinate because of your official position in the department.”

“Ah, yes. That is a tricky one.” She returns to the closet.

“Do you know what your file says now that you are on the 3rd floor?”

She pauses her search for her shoulder holster and turns to look at him. “I haven’t checked. Didn’t think I needed to. I can though. It would be easy enough. What are you thinking?”

“Well… your creds say BAU. Which makes you my subordinate. But if the file says something else? UCR or whatever the code is? Then we could be considered equals.”

She nods and returns to her search. She retrieves the holster, closes the closet, and places it next to her gun. “If my creds say BAU, then maybe we err on the side of caution.”

“Keep it secret?”

“Yeah.” She reaches for his hand and he gladly laces his fingers with hers. “I don’t like it any more than you do. But we both care about our jobs and want to keep doing them for the foreseeable future.”

“Plus, you are on track to join the team.”

She gives his hand a gentle squeeze. “Then that’s when we file the paperwork. Make it official. And I mean day one official. Like Hotch says, ‘Congrats, you’re on the team’ and we pull out the completed form like ‘by the way, we need to tell you something you likely already know.’ Until then…”

“We keep the circle tight. People who can keep the secret with us.”

“Right. Penny will keep it secret. The team too probably. Hotch said that he can’t look out for us if he didn’t know.”

“So, in summation, nothing at work or around people from work.”

“Right.”

“Which means I need to leave before your partner comes to get you.”

She sighs and brings his hand up to kiss the back of it. “I hate it. But correct. Which I why I said 3 hours from closing. I figure he won’t be 30 minutes early. So, if you leave by 8…”

“I should be long gone when he gets here at 8:30.”

“And I could even drive you home.”

“That could be risky.”

“With the way I drive?”

He laughs. “True.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I want a proper goodbye.”

“I could also be on a case when you get back.”

“At least you get to have your phone.”

“Oh. So, you’re going deep?”

She nods. “I’ve actually said too much, but I trust you.”

He nods and squeezes her hand. “It answers some of the questions I had regarding your packing selections.”

“Such as?”

“Extra magazines. All black clothing. Flashier gun.”

“Flashier?”

“Compared to your usual.”

“The usual is standard issue. It’s serial number and ballistics would come back to me. Not exactly suited for undercover work. Also, just because it’s silver, doesn’t make it flashy. It’s not like it has engraving or a mother of pearl grip.”

“That’s oddly specific.”

She laughs. “Indeed, it is.” She smiles. “Now, are we just going to talk about something I’m not supposed to be talking about or should we move back to the subject at hand?”

“Which is?”

“Us.”

He smiles and takes her other hand. “I do enjoy that topic. A topic I am grateful to have.”

She raises an eyebrow and steps closer to him. “Oh yeah? Have you discussed this topic often?”

“Well, no. You know, the whole private, secret, between us thing. Makes it hard to discuss with others.”

“Have you had the need to discuss with others?”

“A little. Just advice on how quickly this developed. It was, and sometimes still is, overwhelming.”

“Given how this has progressed today alone, I hope I’m not overwhelming you too much.”

He shakes his heads and his fingers slow dance around hers. “It’s not you.” He smiles softly. “Well… it’s a little bit you. But it’s me too. I keep surprising myself. Behaving in ways I’m not used to.”

“Such as?”

“I’m having no problem sitting on your bed, you standing between my knees, your fingers moving against mine. I feel like this is something I should feel anxious about.”

“How so?”

“It goes back to our conversation in the car.”

She nods. “Take your time.”

He looks down at their hands. Twined together. An action that still baffles him. This was not something he ever thought he’d like. And thinking about holding hands with someone else, anybody else, still makes his skin crawl. Why is she an exception? “I’m… I mentioned I have insecurities.” She nods. “I just… I’ve never…”

She nods slowly and pulls her hands from his. She moves her bag and gun to the floor before sitting down and taking his hand. She doesn’t say anything, because she knows he’s not done. He needs to express himself in his own time, without being prompted. But she has a pretty good idea of what he’s going to say now.

He sighs and stands. He keeps hold of her hand but runs the other through his hair. He doesn’t know what’s possessing him to open up like this. He hasn’t felt remotely comfortable doing so in years. Even talking to a therapist wasn’t 100% safe. If they worked for the Bureau, then something he said could be used against him. He opened up to Derek because of a deep bond, similar history, and the case hit too close to home. He opened up to Blake because… well… he had to. But he chose her because she got him on an intellectual level and he knew she’d be able to distance herself enough not to judge him. The others he might have felt comfortable talking to, as guilty as he felt and still feels about it, would have projected their own emotional states on him and it would have backfired in trying to figure anything out. That is not necessary here. There was no necessity with Maeve and there is no necessity now. He told Maeve because it felt right. He selected the milder of his high school experiences to tell her, because all things considered, he could have gotten over it in time. But he knows that these experiences are the foundation of his insecurities, which have prevented him from being with a woman sexually. Is that why he wants to just…. Unload on her? Reveal some of his trauma to her? Because he wants her more than he’s ever wanted any woman physically? It doesn’t matter really. What ever the reason, he has already opened the flood gate, there is no way to stop it now.

“I’ve only ever talked about this to three… well, technically four but a therapist doesn’t count in this case… I guess. All of this stems from some things that happened in high school. When I was 12.” She sits up a little straighter and leans a little bit forward. This is not the direction she thought this was going. “Being the youngest kid in your senior class is hard. Being the youngest kid in your entire high school is hard. I was bullied. A lot. But it didn’t get bad until my senior year. And uh… The first incident was not nearly as bad as the second. I had a crush on this girl.” She pulls up one knee to hug it to her chest. There is trauma coming and, though she knows she doesn’t have to, she feels the need to share something just as serious. “I got this note from a girl I had a crush on telling me she thought I was cute but she would only meet me if I were blindfolded.”

“That’s weird.”

“I know that now. Being a 12-year-old without a support system,” he half scoffs, half chuckles, “which I will get into another time. You can’t learn some lessons from books.”

“Very true. Did you go?”

He nods. “When I took my shirt off, I heard the laughter. Most of the senior class was there.”

“Oh, Spence.” She pulls his hand to kiss the back of it.

“After that, I looked to increase my social standing. I didn’t have friends. Not really. I thought that if I had friends, something like that wouldn’t happen again. So, I joined the basketball team.”

“Wow. Basketball?”

He smiles and sits beside her. “I didn’t play, obviously. I think we’ve established that’s not who I am. I coached which resulted in us winning because I was able to break down the opposing team’s shooting strategy.”

“Using your brains to play sports? I like it.”

“I was still bullied a little, but it was better. Until the season ended.”

“Then the second thing happened?”

He nods and pulls her hand into his lap. He begins tracing the lines of her palm. “I still feel stupid about it.”

“That’s not a word I would ever associate with you.”

“Girls were a blind spot. So, when Harper Hillman came to me in the library to tell me that Alexa Lisben, easily the prettiest girl in school, wanted to meet me behind the field house, I believed her.”

“Was that one of the spots?”

“Spots?”

“I bounced around enough schools before getting my G.E.D. to know that every school has make out spots. They are common knowledge among students and for some strange reason faculty and staff have no idea. Though it’s likely because they turn a blind eye to whatever the hormone crazed teens are doing. Which is both a blessing and a curse.”

“A curse in my case. But yes. It was one of the spots. Having never kissed a girl before I was… excited. Then I got there and she was there… with the entire football team.”

“Oh, shit. Am I going to have to kill someone once this story is over?”

He shakes his head. “The number of people there…? Well, I’d have to hunt you down. Arrest you.”

“Oh. It’d make me a mass murderer then?”

“Depends on how you did it, but yeah. And then you definitely would not be on the team.”

She chuckles. “True.” She pats his arm. “Should I ask?”

He shakes his head. “No need. I’ve started, so I’m going to finish.” She nods. “They stripped me naked and tied me to the goal post. There were so many kids there… watching. And no one did anything to stop it. No matter how much I begged.” She suppresses a growl.

She and Sam were bullied often in new high schools. She was ahead of him a grade level or two though. The age gap wasn’t as large as Spencer’s with his peers, but she has an idea as to what that gap would feel like. So, the stuff she was subjected to was worse than what Sam got. The one thing she had on Sam is that she never let them bother her, at least where they could see. She was stoic in the face of the bullies. And if they can’t inflict pain, they lose interest. She would have been his champion had they been in school together as she and Dean had been to Sam. Well, when Dean wasn’t distracted by girls.

“I didn’t get home until midnight.” She is pulled from her own reflections back to him. “I told you that mom is schizophrenic?” She nods. “When I got home, she didn’t even notice I was late because she was having one of her episodes.”

She takes a deep breath and nods. “The lack of support system.” He nods, happy that she understands and doesn’t have to spell it out for her. “So, your insecurities stem from people laughing at you at a tender age whenever your clothes were off?” He nods. “That’s understandable. At 12, you were probably just barely starting puberty and so your hormones were going haywire. Hell, you probably hadn’t paid much attention to girls until then. After those experiences, you were probably put off by the very idea of dating.”

“All correct.”

“A trauma like that… it sticks to you. Now, I don’t know exactly what you went through. The bullying I received in high school was nothing comparatively. But…” She takes a deep breath. She has never spoken these words out loud. Not to her brothers, who were witnesses to her treatment. Not to Penny. Not to either of the men she was in love with. No to Bobby, because he was also a witness of sorts.

He laces his fingers with hers and gives her hand a squeeze. “You don’t have to say anything.”

“I do though. It’s a bookmark. Something I agreed to come back to. And if you are allowing me to share in your past trauma, then I should… no, I need to do the same. It’s not really a related topic, as you brought yours up to illustrate why you are hesitant to be with me physically. Which I can assure you will not result in me laughing at you. I think you’re hot in a multitude of ways, which includes physically, but I digress. You asked me once why I hid my intellect. Short answer, my father.”

“Your father? John?”

She nods. “Growing up, he didn’t know how to handle me. Raising boys was something he was prepared for. Raising three kids he was prepared for. He was still getting used to the idea of having a daughter, because the doctors thought my twin and I were both boys until we came out. Then mom died and he was certainly not prepared to raise three kids on his own.”

“Being a single parent is hard for almost anyone.”

“For a long while, everything was fine. We were all treated the same regardless of gender. But he was not prepared how to raise someone with an eidetic memory. He could see the benefits, but he just couldn’t keep up with me on an intellectual level. I don’t blame him for that really. He did his best in those early childhood years.”

“People who aren’t intellectuals like us do have a hard time keeping up. I was lucky that my mom likes books as much as I do.”

She nods. “Then I hit puberty.” He hums as if he knows where this might be going. “He could handle my brothers’ transitions into adulthood. Well, to a certain extent. He and my older brother were very similar to each other. But us twins… well, two bookworms were not what he was ready for. Plus, me being a girl and all… Later down the road, we sort of figured out that it was because I reminded him so much of our mother that just looking at me caused him pain. But my opinionated, outspoken nature also reminded him of her. I was… too smart for him to keep up with. And I was often berated for it.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head. “Don’t be. My brother never got this treatment from him. Was never made to feel ashamed for being the smartest person in the room. They had a falling out later because he wanted to go to law school and was forced to choose between being a good son or being his own person. He chose law school. They made up eventually though.”

“We’re not talking about your brothers.”

She sighs. “I know. But it sort of adds to the trauma of it all. I wouldn’t call it abuse per se, but some therapist somewhere might. Me being like my mother and smarter than he could cope with kept us from ever truly reconciling until… he died. He made me ashamed to be who I am. I couldn’t help how my mind worked. I couldn’t help the way I looked.” His hand cups her face and his thumb wipes a tear away. She tries not to recoil, to let her angry surge at her weakness. But when she feels his hands fall away, she knows she failed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… flinched like that. We’ve established that I hate to show weakness. That’s his fault too.”

”Dani… I…”

“What can you say? It’s water under the bridge. He’s dead. The damage has been done, but Bobby… and my brothers for that matter, have helped me to overcome it.”

“But you haven’t. Not really.”

“Well, neither have you.” She closes her eyes and sighs. “I’m sorry. That’s unkind. And unfair. Family has the biggest impact on our lives. Which means that a lot of our faults are caused or exacerbated by them. That’s the case a little with you. That whole nonexistent support system thing. Not that that’s your mom’s fault, far from it. I just… I’m digging myself a hole here.”

“I think I get why it hurts so much.”

“Oh?”

“Your father didn’t understand you. Couldn’t see past the fact that you aren’t your mother. That you would never be your mother. Then something happened, something to tip the scales. And he… abandoned you. Gave up and threw you away without looking back.”

She bites her lip and nods. “How’d you know the not looking back thing?”

“You spent your formative years struggling to connect to him. I’m guessing he could barely look at you without seeing her in your face. Teenagers act out. Parents struggle to figure out why. Some parents just stop trying. Then something happens. A turning point. This act forces a parent to choose a path. To try to work through it, work it out, reconnect, show their child that they still care and that their actions have been noticed. Or the parents shut them out. This can range from just not talking about it, shaming them into not talking about it, or in your case…”

“Putting it off on someone else.”

“Yeah. I’m not saying that he was justified. Far from it. I’ve seen this more times than I care to count. Whatever happened, which you don’t need to tell me now, we’ve scratched at scabs enough for one night, shut him off to the idea of making a connection. He gave up. Not you. You getting dropped off at Bobby’s was not your fault. And ultimately, I think you were better off with your dad. Your older brother was soured against you by your father’s actions. Not yours.”

“And we’re good now. More than good. I still see that shadow from time to time. Especially if something reminds him of our father or whatever it was that was said to him. Nothing I can do about that though. It’s part of his trauma I suppose.”

“To answer your question, based on the information provided, how strongly this still lives inside you, and a bit of profiling, I put that picture together. Him driving away, not looking back as he left you.”

“Well, you’re right about that.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head and rubs the back of his hand. “Well... I don’t know about you, but I need a drink.” She unfolds herself from the bed and heads for the kitchen. He doesn’t follow her right away. He knows she needs a minute. She is grateful that he doesn’t follow. She needs to calm down. Push all this shit back down. They are supposed to be enjoying themselves before the extended time apart. She opens a beer and proceeds to down the whole bottle. She tosses it in the trash and reaches for another. She sighs, grabs a water instead, before closing the door. She cannot be drunk when her partner comes to pick her up.

Old wounds are hard to close, but it actually felt nice to get it out there. Understanding the impacts different types of trauma have on a person is part of the job. Just like he understands what hers did to her, she now understands why he is so hesitant. Mostly. She gets the impression there is more to the story, but she will let him tell it in his own time. What she has gathered, something he may or may not be prepared to admit, is that he is a virgin with body confidence issues. Which she can work with. He wouldn’t be the first virgin she has slept with. The confidence is something he will need to come to on his own though. She can help, but ultimately it is up to him.

His arms slide around her waist and she relaxes into them. Her head falls back to rest on his shoulder and she wraps her arms around his. “Thank you.”

He chuckles. “For making you cry?”

She shakes her head. “For listening. For not taking his side. At least not really. For putting on your profiler hat.”

“Can’t help that sometimes.”

“There’s nothing about what we just talked that puts me off, by the way. I’m still as attracted to you as I was before.” She feels him relax a little. The tension being held in his shoulders falling away. His head falls forward to rest on her shoulder. She touches his face before turning in his arms. “I want to declare something once more. I understand what you’ve said to me without actually saying it and what I said in the car this afternoon still stands. We move at your pace. You say the word and we stop. In fact, I want to amend that a little bit.”

“Oh?”

“This doesn’t physically move forward unless you make this first move. You’ve got the power. I will do my damnedest to control myself and if I ever go further than you are ready…”

“I’ve got it. You might be waiting a while for me to make that first move.”

She runs her hands up his arms and wraps her arms around his neck. “Well, you’ve already made one move.”

He chuckles. “That I have.” He cups her face and kisses her cheek. Kissing away the last lingering tear. He expects her to kiss him then. To grab him like she has before. Instead she pulls him into a hug. A tight one. Her body pressed against his, her face buried between her arm and his neck. Her toes strained to achieve the proper height. He encases her. Hands pressed into her back, arms squeezing her ribs. He can feel her heart hammering away. And somehow, though he can feel the toned muscles beneath clothes and skin, he feels stronger than her. Not in a negative way, more that he is supporting her. Both physically and emotional. It isn’t feeling he’s used to. And he likes that she can make him feel like this. Make him feel like they are equals. He squeezes her a little more firmly and turns his head to plant a firm kiss to her temple.

He feels her grip loosen but not completely. She still has a hold of him, but now she can look up at him. There’s a look on her face that he has not seen before. It’s a look he likes. Soft, warm. He closes his eyes to lock it into his memory. She brings her forehead to rest on his and sighs. Despite the emotional hour they’ve had, he can feel that she’s happy. Feel it in the gentle way she is twirls the hair on his neck between her fingers. Feel it in the way she has settled into his arms. They have built this trust. Trust that goes beyond anything he has ever felt from his family. A trust that feels as if it goes both ways. A trust that makes him feel like he can be open and honest without feeling judged.

He quickly cups her face and presses his lips to hers. He can tell it has surprised her, but she just as quickly returns it. The tender kiss shifts into something more heated after a few moments. The muscular power she has over him takes over. She backs him into the kitchen island a little harder than anticipated. He chuckles. “Ow.”

She brushes her nose against his. “Sorry.”

He slides his hands up her arms and takes her hands from where they are locked on his neck. He laces his fingers with hers and shifts to move around the counter. She lets him lead the way. He turns and walks into the living room. He stops and sits down on the couch. He gives her hand a tug and she ends up sitting beside him. They both turn to face each other, and he wraps his arm around her, pulling her in close. Their lips meet and their heated kissing resumes. She hums and threads her fingers into his hair.

She lets him drive. Lets him lead how much they touch, how hard, how much tongue. His touch is just as hesitant as it was in the car. He has no idea where to put his hands. She smiles against his mouth as his hands flutter to various places, never truly settling anywhere. He has had one other make out session in his entire life, which happened to be in a pool.

She breaks the kiss for the first time in a while and she smiles at him.

“It feels like you have questions.”

He chuckles. “I don’t know where to put my hands.”

She brushes her fingers along his jaw and smiles. “Wherever you want to.”

“That seems so…”

“Simple?”

“Yes and no. It certainly doesn’t help me make a decision or answer the question.”

“Well… not to really dissect my method… I go with whatever feels welcomed. If I touch you,” She runs her index finger along his jaw starting by his ear. “And you react positively…” She changes directions at the apex of his chin and trails it down his neck and over his Adam’s apple. He swallows hard and closes his eyes. “I read that as a welcome touch. Your pulse might be racing and you might not be sure how to react, but your general body language tells me you’re ok. But… if I touch you and you react negatively,” She leans forward and presses lips to his throat. His whole-body tenses and he struggles to breathe. She leans away and makes the mental note. “Like that. I know not to do that again.”

“But some body language can be misinterpreted.”

“Oh?”

“Well… I didn’t dislike that kiss I just… wasn’t expecting it.”

She nods. “Just because you like something doesn’t mean you are ready for it?”

“I supposed that’s one way to look at it.” He sighs and sits back on the couch. “I’m making this weird.”

“No. You’re not.” She cards her fingers through his hair, given his scalp a little scratch, before running her hand back to rest on the back of his neck. She watches him relish that touch. Closing his eyes, inhaling deeply, and sighing happily. “You are not a man of instinct.”

He lets the words settle in his mind. He scoffs and smiles over at her. “I think that might be the most astute and the most insulting description of me.”

“It’s not meant to be an insult, Spence. What I mean by it is… you think things through. You mull it over, process it before acting. On the job, those processes are lightning fast. When to shot, what to say, building a profile. But in untested waters, it just takes you a little longer. There is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes a person’s instinct can lead them astray. Especially in an intimate setting.”

“Instinct is an innate, typically fixed, pattern of behavior in animals in response to certain stimuli. How is it not an insult to not act on it?”

“I’m saying you don’t have instinct. Yours is more… adapted to the job. It’s what most of your experiences are based on. The reason you don’t know how to behave… where to put your hands… is a lack of experience. So, you’re to stuck up here.” She gently taps his temple. “And that’s fine. Nothing wrong with thinking these things through. Hell, I might have saved myself some heartache had I thought more about these things more.”

He hums and takes her hand. He runs his fingers along hers, gently caressing them as they move in and around each other. “I think I understand what you mean.”

“You’re in the driver’s seat here. You don’t wanna make out for however long we have left? Fine. You wanna do those little experimental touches? Have at it. You want me to keep my hands to myself? I’m good with whatever you want. You decide how fast this goes.”

He licks his lips and his eyes squint. “Huh.” Something has connected for him that has been bothering him for a while and it is written all over his face.

“What?”

“I think that’s what I’ve been worried about.”

“Regarding?”

“Moving too fast.”

“Go on.”

“I’ve been trying to nail down my hang ups. Trying to figure out why it has been so easy to be with you and yet being afraid at how fast this is progressing.”

“It’s physical.”

He nods and then shakes his head. “I know that’s not what a meaningful relationship is. It can be part of it, but it’s more than that.”

“Spencer. You look worried that I’m not going to like what you’re about to say.”

“I am.”

“I like you. A lot. And when you like someone and are attracted to someone as much as I am to you... Am I right that you’ve been sort of dancing around a certain word regarding your experience?” He nods. “I’m not afraid of that word. Based on things you’ve said, I’ve done the math so to speak. The thing you need to know about that is this. I am patient. I am in no rush. I enjoy being in your company. That’s all I need to justify us being together.”

“So, when you said I’m in the driver’s seat?”

“I mean that I will not be making the first move. We move forward on your time. When you are ready, I’m ready.”

“That feels like a lot of pressure.”

“It’s not though. Again, I will do my best to read you. If I go too far, I’ll know. If you want me to go further, I’ll know. What is it you said we had… this go with the flow, see what happens kind of thing? I happen to like that too. There’s no pressure in that. No promises to try to do things we aren’t ready for. Having open and honest discussions without fear. Marking our conversations to be readdressed later when we aren’t ready to open those old wounds.”

“I like where we are too.”

“So, don’t worry about the physicality. It may progress, or it may not. Right now, it’s not an issue. I’m content with where we are. And should you feel ready to move it to that stage, I’m right here.”

He feels lighter than he has in a longer while. He doesn’t feel like he has to hide from her. Whether it be some painful subject from his past, or some random tidbit, or the fact that he is 33 years old with next to no experience with women. He feels so at ease with her. He can’t even bring himself to feel ashamed for feeling the way he does. “Thank you.”

She smiles softly. “For?”

“Being open and honest with me. For… understanding. I normally feel this guilt for not being able to… but I don’t feel that right now.”

She shifts to sit on her knees and face him. She cups his jaw and makes him look at her. “Anyone who has made you feel guilty was not right for you.”

“I don’t think they meant to.”

“Be that as it may, the statement stands. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

He reaches for her then and wraps his arms around her. He buries his face in the crook of her neck. It hits him that they are about to be parted for an undetermined amount of time and he doesn’t want her to go. She wraps one arm around his shoulders and threads her fingers into his hair, holding the back of his head firmly to her. She closes her eyes and allows herself to enjoy the contact. He is stronger than he appears. Hugging her so tightly to him that she has the slightest difficulty breathing.

She feels his lips press against her neck and she inhales slow and deep. Something she’s going to have to work on in order to keep her promise to let him be in charge is her own self-control. He has no idea how much she wants him and the last thing she wants to do is scare him off. Keeping her hands to herself is going to be a challenge. One she hopes she is up for.

His lips trail up the side of her neck. Little whispers that can hardly be considered kisses. His arms loosen and they separate slightly. He looks deep into her eyes. His lips twitch upward. Her pupils are wide open, her pulse is racing. She nibbles on her lower lip as her focus shifts between his eyes and his lips. He smirks before fully grabbing her face and bring her it towards him. Their lips meet and her arms move to tighten around his ribs. Her hands grabbing at the suit jacket he still wears. His tongue flicks across her bottom lip and she almost loses her mind trying to restrain herself from pouncing him. Instead she opens her mouth and gladly receives his tongue, gliding hers along his.

After a few minutes of that, they both need air. But he is not ready to stop yet. Not ready to let her go. He kisses along her jaw and on the side of her face. Then down her neck with as much heat and force as he had been her mouth. Her hands clamp down on his jacket and a soft moan escapes her. Her head falls back to give him better access and he is all too happy to oblige her. He open mouth kisses every piece of skin above the collar of her flannel that he can reach without contorting too much.

And just when she’s about to snap, about to push him back and return the favor, the alarm on her phone sounds. The sound makes him jump and once his arms loosen, she falls back, breathless on the couch. She can’t think, can’t breathe. He watches her as the alarm continues to sound. Her hair wild around her since he pulled the ponytail from it at some point. Her lips red and her eyes closed. Her chest rising and falling rapidly. He smirks. He wasn’t aware he had that much power over a woman. And when she makes no move to silence the alarm ringing in her pocket, he reaches forward to fish the phone from her pocket. His hands sliding up her thighs and settling on her hips to feel which pocket is ringing. She bites her lips and her hands white knuckle the cushions on the couch.

He pulls the phone out and dismisses the alarm before turning to sit properly on the couch. “It’s 7:46.”

She sighs and kicks her legs out to put her feet in his lap. “There’s another one set for 8.”

He nods. “Smart.”

She hums. “I figured, if this turned out anything like lunch, that we would lose track of time. And I can’t do that tonight.” She smiles, eyes still closed. “Though, I sure wish that I could.”

He rests his hands on her shins and watches her compose herself. Breathing slowly, toying with the ends of her hair. “You’re beautiful.”

She smiles and her eyes flutter open. “And you, sir, are one hell of a kisser.”

He blushes and smiles. “Thanks. So, are you.”

She smirks, sits up, and ruffles his hair. She swings her feet out of his lap and gets up off the couch. “I should probably get you home.”

“The 8 o’clock alarm hasn’t gone off yet.”

She shakes her head and bends to pick her ponytail off the floor. She fluffs her hair and sees that it is a mess. “True, but someone has done a number on my hair.” She heads for the bathroom and he quickly gets up to follow her. He leans against the door to the bathroom to watch her pull a brush through it. “You should leave it down more often.”

“I suppose I can now. Depending on my tasks for the day or what the assignment is. There was no point in doing anything nice to it when I was just going to have to twist it up and put a helmet on.” He reaches out to brush her brown curls off her shoulder. Admiring the way the strands move and settle between her shoulder blades. She glances over at him and watches his eyes trace her shoulder and neck. She shakes her head and chuckles. She attempts to ignore him as she returns her hair to its rightful place. She smiles at him when finished and motions from him to go into the bedroom. He backs away and she takes his hand as she goes back into the living room. She leads him to the coat rack where he has hung his coat, scarf, and messenger bag.

“I’m not ready to go home.”

She chuckles. “I know.”

He gathers his belongings. “We haven’t discussed what the plan is when you get back.”

She nods and watches him put his coat on. “Discuss away.”

“You won’t have your phone?”

“Correct. Not that my personal phone can be tracked unless I want it to be.”

“Really?”

“Please, Spence. I’m a hacker. As if I would allow someone else to control the information my phone sends out.”

“So, you could take it?”

She shakes her head. “I could, but I won’t.” She feels a touch guilty lying to him. She has every intention of taking her personal phone. Well, more accurately, she plans on taking her burner backup. In her secondary line of work, she can’t afford to be out of contact with her brothers. “It’s dangerous, you understand? I’m assuming a new identity. Contact with anyone from my actual life is risky. So, my phone stays here. To protect myself and those I care about.”

“I know.” He slings his bag over his shoulder and touches her cheek. “I’m just going to miss you.”

“I will miss you too.”

“So, what’s the plan then?”

She sets the alarm, unlocks the door, and motions for him to exit into the hallway. She locks the door, pulls out her phone to turn off the 8 o’clock alert, and then takes his hand. They walk down the stairs together.

As they make the slow decent, it feels like there is something unsaid hanging in the air. She can’t really pinpoint what or on whose end it’s on. The mission is simple. There’s always some element of danger going undercover, on any case for that matter, but this one is pretty straight forward. She is not remotely worried about it. Maybe it’s not having a timeframe? Not knowing when they will be able to connect again? It can’t be that. She’s used to that. Hunting has more unknown variables. She is used to being in relationships with people whose responsibilities force physical distance. She can do long distance. Maybe it’s that she doesn’t want to? She would be happy to spend every free moment she has with him. She also wants to spend all of her professional time with him too, but he has less to do with that aspect. Being on the team is the goal, he is a pleasant side effect.

She attempts to process this feeling while she unlocks the passenger side of her car. He gives her hand a squeeze before slipping his fingers from hers. That act of separation answers her question. She mentally groans as she knows this feeling and it is far too early to name it. This feeling is semi-unrelated to the feeling something that hasn’t been said between them. Some unknown yet unfinished conversation. The button so to speak.

She turns her attention to driving. Following the speed limit and traffic laws the whole way. Something that is not lost on him.

“Not ready to call it?”

She chuckles and shakes her head. “Nope.” She comes to complete stop at one of the few red lights on the way. “Did the driving right out the driver’s ed handbook give me away?”

“Yep.”

She smiles over at him. “Just trying to maximize this time together.”

He smiles back as the light turns green. “You never answered my question.”

“My apologies. Which question was that?”

“The plan… for when you get back.”

“Oh. I suppose the best thing to do is text or call you.”

“I would prefer a phone call.”

“But I won’t be upset if you don’t answer. In fact, if you are on a case, don’t answer. I’ll leave you a voicemail.”

“A voicemail? Do people even do that anymore?”

“I bet you do.”

He laughs. “Sometimes.”

She pulls up outside of his apartment and kills the engine. She grabs his wrist to check the time on his watch. “Good. I can walk you up.” He has the door open before she even lets him go. He pays the meter and takes her hand as she hops up onto the sidewalk.

He feels like there is something she isn’t saying. Not keeping from him per se, just not saying. As if part of her wants to say something, but the other part is keeping her quiet. He hopes it isn’t anything bad related to the serious nature of their conversation. He hopes that, for once, his past traumas… some of which he has not said to her yet… won’t get in the way of her being with him for the long haul. It’s a lot to take in. A lot to work around. But he sees a real chance at happiness with her and he doesn’t want anything to get in the way of that on his end.

Halfway up the stairs he hears her gasp. He stops and looks back at her. “What?”

She shakes her head. “It’s nothing serious. I just had an awesome idea.”

“Oh?”

“An idea you will have to wait for… though it does hinge on the answer to one question.”

“Which is?”

She gives him a little shove to get him moving again. “Do you have a MP3 player?”

“Like for music?”

She laughs as they stop in front of his door. “No, for video games. Yeah, for music, silly.”

“Wow. I asked a stupid question. Me.” She can hear that he is playing along with her and not upset by the dumb question.

“It’s ok. We all make dumb mistakes every now and again.”

“Ha. Ha.” He pulls on her hand and wraps his arms around her neck pulling her face to his chest. He ruffles her hair as she playfully smacks his sides.

“Stop that.” They both laugh as she pretends to struggle against his hold. She smirks against his chest and switches to tickling. He cackles and shoves her away. She backs into the railing across from his door. She runs her hand over her head in an attempt to make her hair more orderly. “Well? Do you?”

He leans against his door at little breathless. “I do not.”

“Cool.” She sighs and shoves off the wall. “I have to go.” She grabs her tie and pulls his face down to be level with hers. “I will miss you, Dr. Reid.”

“Likewise.”

“Oh, you’re going to miss yourself?”

“Shut up.” He grabs both sides of her jaw and kisses her. There is heat in his kiss and it makes her weak in the knees. Her grip tightens on his tie and her other arm snakes around him. She could stay there all night. Well, more accurately, she would have him unlock his apartment so they wouldn’t be out in the hallway, but the thought stands. His watch’s proximity to her ear pulls her focus. She groans and forces an end to the kiss by gently pressing against his chest.

“I have to go.”

“I know.”

“You aren’t making this easy.”

“I never want walking away from me to be easy.”

She chuckles and bits her lip. “That sounds dark and possessive. And I kinda like it on a personal level. Professionally?”

He nods and backs into his door. “I get it. The comment is a two-way street though.”

“Oh?”

“Watching you walk away is not easy.”

“That’s the job we both signed up for.”

“True. But you won’t be able to tell me about your day when it’s all said and done.”

“Technically true. I can’t give you specifics. We’ll just have to play it by ear on a case by case basis.” She checks his watch again. “I really have to go. So, I’m going to make this quick.” She practically jumps him, pinning him against his door, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing up on her tippy toes. She kisses him hard three times before resting her forehead against his. “Goodbye, Dr. Reid.” Before he can recover, she gives him one more long, firm kiss before quickly making for the stairs. She stops before she can’t see him anymore and smiles at his still stunned expression. She waves and he slowly waves back before she practically runs down the stairs.

***

She lays on her hotel bed staring at the burner in her hand. She had a feeling it would be a bad idea to forward her calls and messages from her personal phone. Because now that she is staring at the e-mail he sent, she wants to respond more than anything.

_Dani,_

_I got your e-mail from Penelope. I hope that’s ok. Not sure if you will check it before you get back, but I wanted to say this while I’m being shown how to use it. Thank you for the gift. She informs me that you have also assembled a playlist and I look forward to hearing what you’ve picked out for me. I don’t know how you managed all this before you left, but I really appreciate it. Missing you will be a little easier with this._

_Spencer._

_P.S. This might be cliché, but I think we should have a song. Something to listen to when the distance/job seems too much._

She drops the phone onto the bed and throws her arms over her face. Not that anyone can see her, but she is blushing like a schoolgirl. This distance, not being able to respond to him as she would like, really bugs her. If this assignment were more than just an elaborate test, then she might be able to distract herself from it. As it stands, she finds that her mind wanders while trying not to let it show that she has pegged everyone involved as an undercover agent or officer of some sort. She isn’t upset by the test. It is actually nice to know that they aren’t just throwing her to the wolves her first time out. It seems like the smart play despite her being more than prepared due to a lifetime of being a hunter.

She grabs up her phone to plug it in and set the alarm. She needs to at least attempt to sleep given the early morning briefing that has been scheduled. She reads the e-mail one more time before turning off the lights and curling up under the covers.

***

Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 2 “The Witness” happens as aired.

Upon arriving home after wrapping up his case in L.A., he drops his bag onto his couch. Still no word from her. The music helped him clear his mind when he was alone in his hotel room. A case is usually enough to sufficiently distract him, but now that he is home he can think of little else. He occupies himself with refreshing the clothes in his go bag and straightening his apartment a little.

He changes into his pajamas and flops onto his couch. He fishes those sticky notes she wrote him from his bag along with the MP3 player and puts the plush headphones over his ears. He hits play to let the shuffle resume. He pulls up the blurry photo on his phone and reflects on their past few dates. The official ones anyway. For him that sums to 4 in total. 3 of which she planned. Though does it count as a date if Penelope was present? He decides it does since cuddling for the first time was involved. Maybe he could plan one for them. Something nice for their 5th.

Though it is hard to plan something when he doesn’t know when she will be back. Well, he can still plan something for the future. It doesn’t have to the next one, just one down the line sometime. He remembers a concert he wanted to go to which would be a great chance to change her tune about classical music. Buying tickets for something is risky though. They never know when they will get a case and plans get wrecked easily in their line of work. But then again, as they say, no risk, no reward. He makes the mental note to purchase the tickets and invite her. He also decides to plan something for the moment she returns. As soon as she calls, unless something interferes, he will drop everything to go see her. He’s sure Derek would disapprove, but, as Penelope would say, he’s smitten.

He thinks back to the conversation he had with Tara on the plane. _“Maybe the events in our lives were set in motion a long time ago. There's an old Buddhist saying that when you meet your soulmate, remember that the act to bring you together was 500 years in the making. So, always appreciate and be kind to each other.”_ He smiles to himself. He hadn’t meant it to describe her, but it feels like it fits. The part about getting Derek back from the prank he pulled was more in reference to the blind date set up, but Tara didn’t need to know that.

The clock next to his record player chimes quietly and he glances over at it. It’s late and he still has a day full of paperwork to do.

He smiles at the sounds of twangy guitar and tsking cymbals in his ear. He recalls that it had surprised him when the song had come up on her shuffle. So, different and out of place from all the various alternative rock tracks he has heard so far. He closes his eyes and imagines her car.

The windows down. Wisps of her hair getting caught in the wind. The feel of her hand in his while her hazel eyes are fixed on the road. And she hums as the female vocals start. But that’s not the remarkable part of this memory. When the chorus hits, it’s as if she can’t hold it in anymore. “Heads Carolina, Tails California. Somewhere greener. Somewhere warmer.” He watches in his mind’s eye as she sings full out for the first time ever. She is in full jam out mode. Drumming out the beat on the steering wheel, dancing a little, on top of the singing. It’s almost like she has completely forgotten that he is in there beside her. He is impressed at her ability. Yet when the song ends, and the next one begins, neither of them comment on it. His reasoning behind not telling her how amazing she is, is the huge blush that covers her face and ears. She even goes as far as covering her mouth with her hand, which he reaches over to pull away so that he can commit her expression to memory.

His alarm goes off in the bedroom and he bolts upright on the couch. He must have dozed off and memory seamlessly transitioned to dream. He stretches and quickly stands to shut the alarm off. He gets caught by the headphone cord and it occurs to him that no sound is playing. He carries the player with him to turn the alarm off and sees that the battery is dead. So, much for listening during his commute. He shakes his head and prepares for an uneventful day at work.


	10. Just Our Imagination

Supernatural Season 11 Episode 8 “Just My Imagination” has been almost completely overhauled.

She is packing in a vaguely familiar setting. It is only vague in that she has never been to this particular shitty motel, but familiar in that she has spent a large portion of her life in similar shitty motels. At least the coffee maker works in this one.

No one ever said undercover work was glamorous. And no one warned her that she’d be up before the sun once the op was over. She’s going to have to talk to whoever sets up the flights. Getting to an airport when they open sucks. The upside is that she will get to see Spencer soon and that definitely brightens her morning. As does the sputtering coffee pot.

As she pours herself a cup, her personal burner starts ringing and she skips to the nightstand where it is still plugged in. She recognizes the number and then looks at the clock. It’s 6:35 am. Of course, he’d be up this early.

“Good morning, Sam!”

He chuckles. “You’re in a good mood for someone who hates mornings.”

“Oh, I won’t be up for long.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you in this good a mood in the morning.”

“I’ve got coffee?” He laughs. “So, what’s with the early morning call?”

“Dean called a family meeting.”

“That’s not what happened.”

Dani chuckles. “Good morning to you too, Big Bro. Thanks for the speaker phone warning, Sam.”

“Dani, Sam’s lost it.”

“I have not.”

“You’re having those weird visions again.”

“Yeah, except you’re seeing him too.”

“That makes us both crazy.”

She shakes her head and turns to kick her feet up on the bed. “Easy boys. You gotta bring me up to speed before I can take sides.”

That comment makes Sam laugh, which was the whole goal, “You remember Sully?”

“Uh… your imaginary friend?”

“Yeah. Well, apparently he wasn’t imaginary.”

“Huh…. That’s…”

“Weird? I know. I actually punched him this morning.”

She sits on the edge of the bed and laughs. “You’re kidding. What is he?”

Dean chimes in now. “He claims to be a Zanna.”

“Hang on a second.” She closes her eyes to access her mental library. “I won’t be able to send you pictures of the lore, but…”

“Wait. You have lore on this? I didn’t think Bobby…”

“He didn’t. This is something I picked up on my own. It’s not much.”

“We’re about to look into our collection to see if we can find anything.”

She mentally flips through the book and to the section dedicated to Zanna. “Well, hopefully you’ll have more luck on your end. I’ve only got a few pages and it’s pretty vague. They are figures in Romanian folklore. They are largely depicted as positive beings who reside in the woods. They give children gifts like kindness, dancing, and luck. Sometimes considered a guardian angel to children, and good adults, who enter their woods. It’s sometimes debated that they might not actually exist since they are not often seen by adults.” 

“That’s what Dean and I are trying to work out right now.”

She hears a voice in the background. “Is that your sister? Can I talk to her?”

Sam covers the phone but she hears him saying something like, “Go back into the kitchen.”

“Wait. It knows me?”

“Well… he was around while you were still with us.”

She sighs and sips her coffee. “This is crazy but… give him the phone.”

“Ok.”

There is rustling on receiver. She hears Sam mumbling and then excited clapping. “Dani?”

“Yes?”

“This is Sully. Sam’s friend. We’ve met before.”

His voice sounds vaguely familiar. She shakes her head. “I don’t remember that.”

“The four of us played together in motel rooms. Board games.”

She closes her eyes. “The four of us?”

He gasps softly. “You don’t remember? But he said you had a perfect memory.”

“Eidetic memory. It’s not perfect. The brain doesn’t work that… he?”

“ _Your_ friend. He’ll be so sad that you forgot him.”

“I remember having an imaginary friend. And I remember Sam having one. I remember playing several board games in a motel room. I even remember… holy shit.”

He gasps. “That’s a bad word.”

“What? Sorry. I… tell me one thing only he would know.”

“But he wouldn’t share your secrets with me. That’s against the rules.”

“He talked about my memory, right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“I’m sure he’s said other things about me. We don’t have much to go on and if you want my brothers to help, you’re going to have to prove yourself.”

She can hear him hum. “Well… he did tell me one thing… I’m not sure I should say it with your brothers in the room.”

“It’s fine. I give you permission.”

“Well… ok. He told me that he stuck around with you for longer than most people. That you two played a game around your family that he wasn’t there anymore, so that you’d have someone around who understood you.”

She bites her lip. “Give the phone back to Sam.”

“Did I upset you?”

“No. Just give it back to him.” There is rustling as the phone is handed back. She can hear Dean mumble something and the sound of footsteps walking away.

Sam comes back on the phone. “Is that true?”

“I think we had Zanna as kids.”

“Feels that way. Is he talking about Darwin?”

“Yeah.”

“How long did you…?”

“It’s not important, Sam. He’s real. I’d trust him. The lore exists.”

“So, you think we should help him?”

“What is he asking for help with exactly?”

Dean clears his throat. “Apparently, one of his friends has been killed.”

“Killed? Killed how?”

“He hasn’t gone into detail.”

She nods. “Well, if he’s real and it seems like he is, then someone or something is killing zanna, then we have to help.”

“We?”

“Yeah. We.” She scoots off the bed and yanks her laptop out of her bag. She wasn’t supposed to bring it. But she’s a hacker, they should know she’s not going anywhere without one. “Where are you going?”

She can hear Dean moving through the bunker. “Hey. Uh… where are we going?”

“You’re going to help?!”

Dean sighs. “I guess so.”

“Oh, thank you!”

Dani shakes her head. Apparently, private conversations over the phone are a thing of the past. “Sully. Where is this happening?”

“Are you coming too?!”

“That a problem?”

“No. Just… unexpected.”

“Why?”

“It’s… not important. Thank you for helping! My friends are in Menomonie, Wisconsin.”

Her fingers move along the keys in search for the nearest airport. “Give the phone to Dean.” She hears the rustling and judging by the lack of background noise, he has taken her off speaker.

“You’re really coming to help? This doesn’t seem like that big of a thing.”

“It may not be. But I have a window of time to work with. I haven’t seen either of you in far too long. And with the biggest bad ever out of the box, I will take what I can get.”

“I’m not even sure we should.”

She licks her lips as she continues to type. “Help something not human?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, as far as non-human beings go, zanna might be the only thing that exists that don’t cause harm. They help kids.”

“Yeah. Ok.”

“Sam wants to go, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s go. No sense wasting breath talking about if we should or shouldn’t go. Plus, I’m sure you guys just can’t wait to grill me on this new job and the comment made about Darwin.”

“Sam mentioned you got a new fed job. More dangerous than the last one?”

“We can talk about it on the drive. I can be get to Minneapolis by 4:45. What about you?”

“If we leave now, I think we can get to you by then.”

“Great! I’ve got a few ducks to get in a row. See ya’ll soon.”

“Text Sam your gate info before you board. Will you have supplies?”

She glances over at her duffel bag. It is loaded, but she’s not sure she can get it on a plane as a civilian. She has a very easy solution for that. “I will have some things but might need to borrow others depending on what we’re up against.”

“Alright. Then while see you around 4:45. And in case I forgot, I’m glad you’re signing on to help with the weird one.”

“It’ll be a blast.”

The siblings don’t typically stand on ceremony. The conversation is over, no need for long goodbyes when they will see each other in 9 to 10 hours, so they simply hang up at the same time.

She has some work to do before she can leave. She has to secure her flight change. And make sure TSA knows beforehand that she is an FBI agent. Which also means an official request through the Bureau, which her hacking skills will allow her to fast track. She will be on personal business, which means no gun on the plane. She will need to claim all weapons within her bag and check it as luggage below the plane. All these hoops are one of the reasons she hates flying. That false bottom full of hunting gear really puts a snag in her under the radar hunting. But this is old news to her.

With that sorted, she needs to secure the next few days off and fire off an e-mail to her new boss about coming in Monday. She already has a good story lined up regarding the reason for her absence. This is all old hat for her by now. Made all too easy when all she has to do is hack her approval for her official request.

Once finished, she gathers the rest of her stuff and calls a cab to get her to the airport.

***

She sees Baby as soon as the automatic doors open. She smiles and then sees both Dean and Sam lean over to look out the passenger window at her. Then another smiling face snags her attention. Sully. He looks just as she remembers him. Which confirms without a shadow of doubt that he’s real. It always seemed a little odd to her that she could also see Sam’s imaginary friend and he could see hers. When they were kids, they both thought it was a twin superpower. She chuckles at the irony of hunters having supernatural beings as best friends.

She smirks and bends down to look in the window. “Are you two idiots going to get out and say hello or am I just expected to get in without a proper greeting?”

Sam is out first. Flinging the door open and hoping out without closing it behind him. She sets her duffel down as he approaches. His long arms wrap tightly around her shoulders pulling her head to his chest. Her arms wrap just as strongly around his ribs. She closes her eyes and is surprised that she feels tears threatening to surface. She feels his chin dig into the top of her head as his hug tightens further. He missed her just as much as she missed him.

She feels the slap to Sam’s shoulder. They separate and Dean shoves her bag into Sam’s chest. He smiles brightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. She flashes him a sideways smirk and he grabs her. “Come ‘ere!” He wraps his arms around her ribs and she throws her arms around his bulky shoulders. She has to press up on her tip toes to hug him like this. But he squeezes just as tight as Sam and this time it makes her laugh.

“Miss me?”

He chuckles and loosens his grip on her. He wraps one arm around her shoulders and neck and steers her to the car. Sully is standing there, beaming. He holds out his arms and Dean moves him aside so Dani can get into the car. She slides across the leather seat, finding her bag in the floorboard.

Sam swings his arm onto the back of the bench seat and smiles as Dean closes his door. Sully slides into the car and shuts the door. “So, how long has it been?”

“You’re wanting the specifics?”

“It’s tradition.”

She laughs. “We’re talking last time we were in the same room together I assume?”

“Yep.”

“Hmm… well… It was that whole Amelia, Clare, Gregori thing so… 4 months and 22 days.”

Dean glances back at her in the rearview, “Damn. That long?”

She shrugs and looks out the window. She knows it’s not their fault. It’s hers. She has made herself available to help, she has been digging up lore for them, but the physical distance has been for her own protection. There is certain resident of the bunker that she is not ready to see yet. “You’ve been busy.”

“So, have you. At least that’s what Sammy tells me.”

She chuckles. “Being busy has been a recent development. Until this whole career shift thing, it’s been quiet on my end. Not even supernatural stuff. Which either means I’m that good, or there is something more concerning going on.”

They all nod. With The Darkness loose, they have all noticed how quiet things have been. They really have to work to find normal jobs now. They are all quiet after that. Sully’s knee bounces beside her as if he is just bursting to say something but he doesn’t.

After a while, Sam looks back at her again. “So, you had your first undercover case?”

“Yeah.”

“How was it?”

“Exhausting, but fine. Harmless since it was a test.”

“A test? Seriously?”

“I know. But I can’t say I blame them. Most people can’t take trial by fire.”

“True.”

“Shouldn’t you be going back then?”

She smirks. “Nothing a little hacking couldn’t fix.”

He laughs. “I was wondering how you could swing this trip with us.”

“Dean didn’t mention it? I said it’s what I was doing.”

Dean shrugs. “Didn’t seem important. Or like news. It’s what you do.”

She smiles and nods. “Touché.”

Sam turns in his seat to look at her. “So, about Darwin…”

“Still want to talk about that, huh?” Sully beams at her and she ignores him. “This is why speaker phone is never a good thing.” She sighs. “What is there to tell? He was my imaginary friend. I believed in him longer than you did. And because you were dead set that you were too old for imaginary friends and Dad hated that we even made them up, I kept him secret. Knowing that the three of you would give me shit for still having him.”

“When did that stop?”

“I am ashamed to admit…”

Sully puts his hand on her shoulder. “Believing is not something you should be ashamed of!”

“I never believed he was real.” Sully smirks and narrows his eyes at her. She rolls her eyes, “Ok, fine. Maybe I thought he was real at first, but eventually I came to believe that he was a figment of my imagination. A coping mechanism. An extension of myself to help me cope with a brain that no one understood. Help me find ways to… not fear what I could do. To… prefect my recall and control my… outbursts.”

Dean glances back at her. “You mean the stuff you spout off now is on purpose?”

She reaches forward and smacks his shoulder. “I trying to open up here, jerk.”

“Bitch.”

She smiles softly at him in the mirror. She can tell he’s just trying to help. To lighten the mood because he knows she likes to talk about her own problems about as much as he does. “It was Summer of ‘95. I was 12. Darwin and I parted ways after I had my first real fight with Dad.”

They both nod. Sam looks back at her. “You didn’t talk for a while after that fight.”

“Didn’t think anyone was listening.”

Dean looks at her in the rear view. “We were. I’ve never known you to be wrong about a case.”

She remembers the work she did on the plane. “Oh! Speaking of cases. I did some research on my flight.”

Dean scoffs. “Of course, you did.”

She sticks her tongue out at him and digs her laptop out of her go bag. “I was looking into anything weird in the area. You know, just in case. And I came across this 911 call from a little girl screaming that her friend was dead in her room. Police went to the house and the report was very dismissive. Saying the girl likely had a nightmare or was making it up for some reason.”

Sully nods as they pull up outside the house. “Her mom was freaking out.” He gasps and turns to look out the window. “That’s the place. It’s a horror show in there.”

The siblings look out at the house. It looks utterly normal. Sam glances back at Sully, “You’ve been inside.”

Sully nods. “Last night.” He abruptly moves from the window to lean over the front seat, pushing Dani to the side. She shakes her head and returns her attention to her computer screen. “I’m in management now, so I don’t get out in field much. It just came to see Sparkle.”

Dani clears her throat to keep from laughing at the look of surprise, maybe disbelief, on Dean’s face. “Sparkle?”

Sully nods. “Yeah. I show up and, I mean, this place was bananas. Like she said, the kid…”

Dani chimes in. “Maddie Berman.”

“Right. Had called cops. Her mom…”

“Linda Berman.”

“Yeah. She was freaking out. And then… Sparkle….” He leans over towards Sam and whispers. “Sam, it was horrible.”

Dean rolls his eyes, “So, according to Zanna rules, the kid is the only witness, right?”

Sully nods slowly. “Yeah. Oh, poor thing.” He takes a deep breath and looks around at all of them. “I’ll meet you inside.” Then he vanishes. She shakes her head. You would think Winchesters would be used to things just disappearing on them, but it is still surprising. Dean even looks around the car afterwards.

Then he sighs. “Alright. What are we thinking?”

The light bulb goes off for Dani right away. “Child therapists.” They both look back at her. She shrugs. “Police reports says that the child was freaked out. And that the mother assured them she they would take her to see someone. A child calling 911 would definitely put them on a list with child services.”

Sam raises an eyebrow. “And you think they’d send someone?”

“It’s possible they would take this first time at face value, but it wouldn’t be unheard of for them to intervene.”

Dean shrugs. “Ok. How do we do that?”

“Oh. I can think of a few ways.” She smirks and he groans.

“I’m going to hate this aren’t I?”

She smiles. “We need to make a thrift store run.” Sam looks one up on his phone and provides Dean with directions. She is happy that her BAU training might actually come in handy here.

***

Dani is front and center when they ring the doorbell. Her reasoning being that women are typically consider less threatening and they appear more sympathetic. Her brown sweater with tan elbow patches and adorable horn-rimmed glasses she found at the thrift store only add to her mousiness. She elbows Dean, who is still complaining about his sweater, when the knob moves.

She smiles softly. “Mrs. Berman?”

“Yes. Can I help you?”

Sam gestures to himself. “Mrs. Berman, I’m Dr. Strummer. These are my associates.” He gestures to Dean.

“Dr. MacGown.”

“And I’m… Dr. Reid.” Dani holds back her chuckle at the joke that is only funny to her. “We are Trauma Counselors with Child Services.”

Sam nods. “We’re here to follow up on a police report filed yesterday?”

“Oh. That was…” She sighs and motions for them to enter. “Come in.” They enter and the mother starts to explain as Dean closes the door. “Uh, my daughter, Maddie, she’s the one who called. Uh, she has an active imagination.”

Dani nods. “How so?”

The mother makes eye contact with her. “She made up this unicorn man, Sparkle.” She lowers her voice and leans in a little. “But, um, she thinks he’s dead in her room.”

“So, Sparkle is a unicorn and also a man?”

“Yeah.”

“So, a manicorn.” Dani shifts her foot back to step on Dean’s as Sam levels him with a look of disapproval.”

The mother looks at him confused. “I… I guess?”

Sam gestures to the next room. “May we…”

She nods. “Yes, please. Thank you.”

Sam leads the way into the living room, his siblings close behind him. Maddie is staring out the window. Sam sits on the couch beside her. “Hey, Maddie. We would like to ask you about last night. About Sparkle?” She doesn’t even register that he has sad anything. “Your mom says you don’t wanna go back into your room?” She shakes her head. “How come?”

She slowly looks at him and then leans in to whisper, “All the blood.” Dani and Dean look at each other and then Sam looks at them. Dean shrugs.

Dani turns to the mother, “Would we be able to take a look at her room?”

“Sure. It’s upstairs.” They follow the mother upstairs into the girl’s room, which has flowers all over the walls, pink bedding, and loads of stuffed animals. “This had been her room since she was a baby. She’s loved this room. And then last night…”

As the boys glance around, Dani smiles softly at her, “Do you mind if we take a look around?”

“I’ll be right back.” They all smile and nod at her as she walks out.

Once she is gone Dean looks around, “Alright. What’s the problem?”

Sam shrugs, “I don’t know.”

Sully appears at the foot of the bed and is staring at the bean bag chair. “I told you it was horrible.”

Dean gets snippy with him, “Do you mind enlightening us?”

Sully turns to them and it dawns on him that they can’t see what he sees. He tip toes around something unseen and stands before him. He looks them all in the eye as he tucks his thumbs and straightens the rest of his fingers. “If I show you all we can see, you can’t tell a soul.”

Dean scoffs, “Oh, yeah. Cuz chicks dig the whole imaginary friend thing.” Sully narrows his eyes and Dean rolls his. “Fine.” Sully touches them all on the forehead and casts a spell on them.

When he moves out of the way, Dani can’t help but let a slow whistle out. There is sparkling blood everywhere. Pooling on the white shag rug, splashed on the play tea set. A broken piece of horn lays in the big pool. And then there’s Sparkle. Dead on the bean bag chair, covered in blood.

Dean’s eyes are wide. “Oh, yeah. That kid is gonna need _all_ the shrinks.”

Sam looks over at Sully. “Wait a second. Even his… blood is glittery?”

Sully slowly nods. “Even when he’s dead, Sparkle can’t stop shining.” They all look at each other and Dani can see that Dean is having a hard time not rolling his eyes.

Dean breaks off and approaches the body. Sully asks, “Who would do this?” as Dean leans over to inspect it.

“It was a blade.”

Sam asks if zanna can see other zanna. Which Sully says yes to, but he is adamant that a zanna could never do this. That’s when the mother comes back in.

“Nothing to see, right?”

They all watch in horror as she starts the straighten the room. Touching the unseen blood, making a disgusting squish sound when she steps in the coagulating blood pool. Picking up a blood-soaked stuffed elephant and then sitting on yet more blood on the window seat. None of them are even listening as she talks. Then she sighs and presses between her eyebrows. Then smearing blood all over her face when she rubs it. Sully audibly cringes. Both her hands are covered. Sully is freaking out. “It’s on her face. Sam, it’s on her face! She’s got Sparkle on her face!”

She looks at the siblings. “How do we get our girl back?”

The three of them are dumbfounded. Sully pleads with somebody to say something. Sam is first. “You know what? Is there a spare bedroom?” The mother nods. He smiles. “Great. Uh, maybe Maddie can sleep there. That should help.”

Sully points to his face, “It’s on her face.”

Dean chimes in. “And a hot shower does wonders.”

Sam nods. “ _Real_ deep scrub. Purify.”

“For Maddie?”

Dean nods. “The whole family. Yeah, just get the whole gang in there. You know, the family that showers together….” Dani bites the inside her cheek to keep from laughing.

Sully looks at him. “Pull up! Pull up.”

Dani steps forward, careful not to step in the blood. “You know what? Why don’t you start there? An imaginary friend is a serious thing at this delicate age.” She starts to lead the mother out of the room. “Validate her grief, you know? Take that shower that Dr. MacGown was talking about, and when you go to speak to Maddie, maybe wear all black, offer to have a small funeral in the back yard.”

“Are you sure that will help?”

“Death is traumatizing to young minds. And though Sparkle was just imaginary, he was real to her. Also, maybe hire a maid to clean the house.”

The mother nods and shakes Dani’s hand. She tries not to cringe and the boys try not to laugh. “Thank you, Dr. Reid. I really appreciate this.”

“Just doing our job.”

Sam nods. “You can contact our office for more guidance if you like.”

“Thank you, again.”

Dani gestures with her now bloody and glittery hand. “We can show ourselves out.” The family leaves with Sully in tow. Dean pulls a rag from the trunk and hands it to her. She looks up at the house and can see spots of blood on the window of Maddie’s room, the sparkles catching the sunlight. “We can’t just leave it like that.” They all look at her with confusion. “The room. We can’t just leave it like that. Until that girl stops believing, she’s going to see the rotting corpse of Sparkle. Her life will be fucked.”

Dean opens his door. “What do you expect us to do?”

“Clean it.”

“Clean it?”

“Yeah, you know. Break in once they are asleep. Remove the body. And all the ruined stuffed animals. And that rug. Mop up the blood.”

“That’s not our job.”

Sam nods. “And won’t they question the missing items?”

She opens the back door on the passenger side, “Don’t want to help? Fine. I’ll do it myself.”

Sully touches her shoulder. “I’ll help you.”

“Thank you, Sully.”

They ride in silence to the motel. She wonders if they are getting two rooms. Her reason for wanting one to herself is no longer an issue. But they don’t know that. To avoid the topic, she hops out of the car as Dean stops. “I’ll get the room.”

Sam leans out to window as she reaches the door. “Wait. Room? Not rooms?”

She doesn’t answer the question. She just smiles and continues inside. She pays with cash, gives the fake name on her fake id, and takes the key. She gets back in the car, “Room 127. It’s around the backside.” Both her brothers just look at her. “What?”

Sam raises an eyebrow. “Since when are we a one room family?”

She smirks. “Since my reason for having my own room is nonexistent.”

Dean furrows his brows, “Meaning?”

She smiles wider and twirls the room key around her finger. “Why would you want your own room, Big Bro?”

He quickly turns around and shakes his head. “Ew.”

She shrugs. “You asked.”

Sam laughs loudly as Dean moves the car around the build. “That’s why you always got your own room? To get laid?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. The backseat lifestyle just isn’t for me.”

Dean throws Baby into park and pulls the keys from the ignition. “I do not want to hear this.”

She laughs as they all spill out of the car, snagging her bag from the floorboard. “Oh, come on. I was forced to listen to your conquests for years. You can handle some casual mention of mine.”

“Casual mention? You realize that this is an established pattern for you. Which means…”

She smirks as she unlocks the motel room door. Sam laughs again. “You might get laid more than Dean!”

“Shut up!”

She laughs heartily and shoves the door in. She leans against it and motions for them to enter. “Look on the bright side, Deano. I don’t plan on getting laid on this trip.”

He shakes his head, but she can see him fighting a smile. “Thank God for that.”

She closes the door and turns to lock the three locks. Doorknob, dead bolt, and slide chain. She has no idea what possesses her to drop another bomb on them, but this teasing, jovial reunion only serves to remind her of the other happy things in her life. “Besides… I don’t think my boyfriend would like it if I slept around on him.”

Sam plops down on the bed closest to the bathroom after dropping his bag at the foot of it. “Boyfriend, huh?”

Dean scoffs softly. “Let me guess. He’s normal?”

She laughs and sets her bag on the stand the tv sits on. “Not sure I would describe Spencer as normal, but I get your meaning. He’s not a hunter. I have rules about that.”

Dean sits at the small dining table and kicks his feet up. “Well. You brought it up. So… tell us about him.”

Sam nods. “Yeah. Where’d you meet this guy? Must be serious for you if there is a title involved.”

She shakes her head. “I feel like if we’re going to delve into personal shit, we should be drinking.”

Sam hops up off the bed. “Say no more. I’ll make a run to the gas station next door.” She tosses him the room key as she passes her. He points at her. “Don’t get into anything good until it get back.”

She draws an X over her heart and he leaves. Dean and Dani both turn their heads to look at Sully who is bouncing on the bed Sam had sat on. “What?”

Dean nods his head toward the door. “You mind?”

“I don’t mind. Just pretend I’m not here.”

“Or you could just… not be here.”

Dani shakes her head. “What my rude brother is trying to say is that I will meet you at the house later to clean it up, but until then we’d like to talk in private.”

“Oh! Yeah sure! Sorry. Just tell Sam I’ll see him tomorrow.” He waves and then vanishes.

Dani chuckles and moves to sit on the bed by the door. “You’d think we’d be used to that by now.”

“Yeah.”

She glances towards the door then back to her brother. “How’s Sam? Still having visions?”

He sighs. “Yeah. He prays and gets visions of the cage. And I don’t have to tell _you_ but…”

“That’s bad. I know. Has he talked about it at all?”

Dean shakes his head. “He’s keeping it close to the vest right now.”

“Typical. Should we tag team him?”

Dean scoffs. “Has that ever worked?”

“Hmm. Fair point.”

“He might say something since you’re here now though. You’re better at getting this stuff out of him.”

“We did share that cage once upon a time. And he knows I remember everything about being there. He might think I can help him make sense of it all.”

“Maybe. All I know is I don’t like it.”

Sam opens the door carrying two six-packs of beer. “Don’t like what?”

“Nothing.” Dean grabs a beer and opens it. Sam sets the packs on the table.

“Yeah. Ok.” Sam offers Dani a beer. She takes it and he sits in the other chair at the table. “So, about this boyfriend.”

“Well, you know his name is Spencer. And he isn’t in the life. What else do you want to know?”

Sam opens a beer for himself. “Where’d you meet?”

“Work.”

Dean takes a swig and raises an eyebrow. “You’re dating a fed?”

She shrugs with one shoulder. “I don’t get out much.”

Sam laughs. “Oh, that sounds super romantic.”

“It is actually. I was set up by a friend in his department. Which also happens to be the department I want to work in. Which could cause complications later, but he’s… not your average fed.”

“So, he’s… more openminded? Smart?”

“Brilliant. He has three PhDs. And an eidetic memory. Like me.”

Dean chuckles. “So, you’re dating a nerd?”

She smiles softly as she drinks her beer. “Very much so.”

The brothers look at each other and then back at her. Sam clears his throat before asking the most loaded question in regard to dating people not in the life. “Are you going to tell him?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. That hasn’t worked so well for us in the past. I’m honestly not sure how he’d handle it. He’d want proof. Proof that I’m not comfortable showing him. It would mean taking him on a hunt. Giving him the lore or having the talk wouldn’t be enough.”

“You’re worried he won’t believe you.”

She looks at Dean, her chest tightening at the thought. She then nods. “It’s still pretty early.”

Sam smiles. “How long?”

She opens her mouth to say the number and stops. They have talked about so much and so much has changed since they’ve met that the number seems wrong. She knows it’s not as she knows the date. She wonders if that’s one of the reasons he feels so overwhelmed sometimes. Wonders if a number so small is what is causing some of his doubt. And maybe some of hers. She realizes that her brothers are waiting for her answer. “13 days.”

Dean chokes on his beer. “13 days? Really? That’s it?”

“And you’re already calling him your boyfriend? Already thinking about telling him everything?”

She shakes her head. “Not everything. I’m just as surprised as you are. And technically speaking we’re not title official yet.” Someone knocks on the door and she is all too happy to jump up for it. Peering through the peephole, she sees Sully. “Saved by the imaginary friend.” She unlocks the door and flings it open. “Hey Sully.”

“Are you ready to go back over there?”

“Absolutely.” She starts out the door. “We’re going to need to pick up some things.” Dean clears his throat and she pauses with her hand on the knob, ready to close the door, to look at him. He is holding up his keys and shaking them at her. “Wait. Really?

“How else do you expect to get around?”

“I was going to steal something, but if you’re ok with me driving Baby then…”

She comes back in the room and holds her hand out. He drops the keys into her palm. “Bring back something to eat when you’re done?”

“Double bacon cheeseburger for you and something with green stuff on it for Sam?”

Dean nods. “Sounds about right.” Then he smirks. “You owe me some Roxy time.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “Fair is fair. But I expect you to treat her with respect. She’s a lady after all.”

“You won’t mistreat Baby, so I won’t mistreat Roxy.”

“Great. I’ll see y’all when I get back.”

She heads out the door and straight to the impala. She unlocks the door and reaches over to unlock the passenger door even though she knows Sully doesn’t need her to. She reaches into the glove box and rifles around Dean’s collection of cassette tapes. She pulls one out, shoves it into the tape deck, and closes the glove box. She and Sully are quiet as she listens to Creedence Clearwater Revival on the way to the store. After gathering the cleaning, she drives towards the house.

“How are you holding up, Dani?”

“Holding up? Fine. Why do you ask?”

“No reason.” They are quiet for a little while, when he turns to face her. “It’s just… Darwin was concerned.”

“You’ve spoken to Darwin?”

He nods. “He didn’t want… he expressed his concerns asking hunters for help.”

“Because they typically shoot first and ask questions later?”

“Yeah.”

“That was more my father’s style. He should know that I don’t act without doing my research. Not everything supernatural is a monster.”

“He said that. He also said that maybe I should go to you and not your brothers.”

“But Sam was your friend, not me. You know him better. It makes sense you’d go to him.”

“I’m glad you’re here though. And that you’re willing to help with…” He sighs. “I’m not sure I can go back in there.”

She puts the car in park a little ways down the street. “And you don’t have to. I’ll get everything cleaned and prep Sparkle’s body. Then you can go in and retrieve him. Your whole vanishing thing will come in handy there.”

“Ok. Just… think if you need me.”

“Think?”

“Yeah. We zanna are mildly telepathic. We can talk to each other and, since you’ve got zanna power right now, I can hear you too. If you want me to.”

“Hmm. That actually gives me some inspiration. Wait here. I’ll let you know if I need to enact my idea.”

“Ok.”

She kills the car, puts the keys in her pocket, and scoops up the bag of supplies. It has been a long time since she has broken into a house, much less through a second story window, and she has to admit that it’s a little thrilling. She finds a place to scale the outside of the house. She does the best she can to stealth across the roof, and cautiously climbs to Maddie’s window. She uses her knife to unlock it and is careful not to step in any blood as she slips in.

She takes in the room and does a mental inventory of the things that will need to be replaced. Pink bean bag chair, pillows and cushion on the window seat, white shag rug, elephant stuffed animal, fluffy monkey stuffed animal, pink flowy curtains with white butterflies embroidered on them. If only she knew some sort of spell that might do the work for her. As it stands, she has a lot of work to do.

She works as quietly as possible given the difficulty of her task. The nosiest thing being getting warm water from the bathroom. She wraps Sparkle’s body and broken horn in the ruined rug and uses the ruined curtains to tie it. Shoves pillows and stuffed animals in a trash bag. Hours pass. She has done the best she can, but some stains just won’t come out. Particularly where the blood pooled and partially dried. She thinks about Sully. Thinks about how she is ready for him and he appears beside her.

“Wow. You did amazing.”

“It’s the best I can do. But there is a solution. If I’m right, of course.”

“Which is?”

“Work your spell in reverse on Maddie. She’s asleep down the hall.”

“Take Sparkle away from her?”

“He’s already dead, Sully. That poor girl is traumatized. And I’m not asking you to remove the memory of him. Just… look at this place. I’m already going to have to break back in here before morning to replace what was destroyed. But I can’t do anything about these floors. Until some shrink gets to her to let go of her belief, she will have to see these stains.”

He sighs. “You’re right. I’ll go do that.”

“I’m going to sneak out, go shopping again, then come back.”

“I can do that. Come back and replace the stuff you buy.”

“Works for me. Not sure this cat burglary routine will work a second time. Especially when I’m already exhausted.”

“You go. I’ll take care of the rest.”

She gives his shoulder a squeeze before gathering up things she brought with her. She slips out of the window and makes her way back to the car.

***

She is surprised to see the lights still shinning in the room when she parks Baby. They must have waited. She snags the plastic bags as she slides out of the car. The familiar squeak of the door both making her angry and reminiscent at the same time. This car might be Dean’s now, but it will always remind her of her father. Especially the taillights.

She pushes the door open and Dean pops off the bed. “’Bout time. I’m starving.”

He grabs the bags from her hands and begins digging through them on the table. She smiles as he gasps. “Is that pie for me?”

“Naturally. Too bad I couldn’t have made one for you.”

He smirks as he yanks the box out of the bag and opens it. “Next time.”

The family eats in silence. She notes that the boys have already staked their claim on the beds. And the way she sees it, she has three options. Sleep with Sam, Dean, or the floor. Either brother is better than the floor. Recalling Dean’s tendency for starfishing, she opts to sleep with Sam. She recaps them on her cleaning task and they thank her for doing it. The casual air makes her almost forget that they haven’t seen each other in months. That her life is so different from theirs. That something cosmically bad is going on. That until Spencer came into her life, she was experiencing one bad thing after another with no way and no one to vent it to.

How does she bring to explain what happened to her after they let The Darkness out? How does she even begin to explain something that reveals so much about her past? A past that they were a part of but had no idea what she was doing along side that shared history for years. A past that only serves to open old wounds despite how happy she is now. And how does she explain any of that without admitting to herself that she is afraid of what they will think of her if she does.

No one says a word about her chosen spot to sleep. Sam is all too happy to shift his hulking frame as close to the edge as he can. Allowing her to sufficiently hug a pillow to her face as she flops onto her stomach. She’s tired from all the travel, house climbing, and blood cleaning, that she doesn’t even have time to say good night before passing out.

***

They four of them are staring at a dead mermaid in an above ground swimming pool. Dani questions to herself why a mother would let her child swim in October in Wisconsin. Maybe the pool is heated? She hears Dean make a joke about flushing the mermaid and she backhands him. He apologizes and asks Sully what he wants to do. The family then starts to dig a hole to bury Nicky the Mermaid.

Dani glances over at the pool while she takes a momentary pause in digging. She hums and Sam glances back at her. “Something on your mind?”

“We should do something about the water.”

Dean grunts, “What can we do about that?”

She shrugs. “Drain it. Fill it back up. Or poke a hole in it somewhere that would look like an accident or something that could happen to an above ground pool.”

Sully nods. “I’ll work on that.” He walks away and Dani watches him for a moment. The sad set to his shoulders as he inspects the pool full of his friend’s blood. She is certain one of her fathers would call her soft, but she can’t help but feel sorry for him. She understands the feeling of being responsible for someone and feeling powerless when something bad happens to them.

“Hey.”

She looks over and both brothers have stopped digging and looking at her. “What?”

“Dean asked you a question.”

“Oh? Sorry. What’s the question?”

“We’ve seen three zanna now. A manicorn. A mermaid. A… Sully. And I was wondering what yours looking like.”

She smirks. “Oh. Well, Sam could probably answer that. He was… delightfully weird.”

“Meaning?”

“He was…” She chuckles trying to put his appearance into words. What is the best way to describe something she thought was a figment of her imagination until now? Keep it simple and in terms they might understand. “He was like an elderly teenage mutant ninja Galapagos tortoise with the Darwin beard and eyebrows. He wore a nice suit, had a cane umbrella, and a monocle.”

Dean shakes his head and Sam laughs. “I remember that. We used to wonder where he found clothes to fit over his shell.”

“If this guy wore a suit, explain your whole digging for fossils thing.”

She smiles at Dean, happy that he can remember some of her more typically childhood activities. “Well, he wasn’t afraid to get dirty if he had to. When he did, he’d fold his nice jacket, set it down, and then roll up his pristine white sleeves to show off his scaly skin.”

“Is the beard why you called him Darwin?”

She shakes her head and starts digging again. “Like his name sake, he was really into animals. Knew everything a kid could think of when talking about animals. He sometimes would do impressions. And they were… amazing. And absolutely hilarious. I mean, just imagine it. A gigantic tortoise perfectly mimicking the roar of a lion or the laugh of a hyena.”

“Is that why you would laugh sometimes out of nowhere in the backseat?”

She laughs. “Yeah. Darwin not only liked learning with me, but he knew how to make me laugh after a hard or lonely day.”

The brothers just nod and the three of them go back to digging.

***

Later that night, she sits on the motel bed, just staring at her burner. This case has been enough to distract her from missing Spencer, but sitting there alone, waiting for her brothers to return with dinner, allows her mind to wander back to him. She has read his e-mail more than enough times to commit it to memory but looking at the text is soothing somehow. She wonders if he has picked a favorite song from the playlist she provided. Wonders if they’ve had a case since she’s been gone. Wonders if her unit would have said anything about her assignment being over and her taking personal time.

She thinks that maybe she should say something about that, tell him she saw an opening to see her brothers and she took it since it had been so long. He’d understand. She wouldn’t fault him for taking what little time he gets off to go see his mother instead of spending more time together. At least, she thinks she wouldn’t be upset. One look into her file would tell him everything she wants the FBI to know about this trip. She doesn’t believe he would look. But if her story isn’t 100% believable, then she would understand if he did.

There is a line she has to toe dating a normal person, especially one as intelligent as he is. She knows she can’t be completely transparent, as much as she’d like to be. That’s one thing her past relationships have had over this one. She can’t say the whole truth about her time outside the office. She just needs to figure out how much of her triple life she wants/can tell him.

The motel room door opens and she looks over to see that Sam is empty handed. “One of the other Zanna called to Sully for help.” She shoves the phone in her pocket and snags her leather jacket off a chair as she heads out the door.

***

When they pull up to the house, headlights off, they don’t see the zanna who called for help. The four of them walk through the backyard where the telepathic message originated and use flashlights to search for signs. They end up following a blood trail into a shed and come upon a heavily bleeding dude with a mullet. Sully rushes over to him to check on him. He is wounded, stabbed but alive. Saved by his fat.

Dean, without any tact at all, informs him that the mermaid is dead. To which the zanna, Weems, starts crying out, “She was my girl!” after getting over the initial shock of the Winchesters being able to see him. Sully informs him the Sparkle is dead too. “Not Sparkle! Dude! That’s like our whole posse! What about Darwin?!”

Sully and Dani make eye contact. She can see in his expression that he may have left something out when they talked about him. Sully looks back at Weems. “Darwin’s fine. He’s been making his check-ins.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Darwin is here somewhere?”

He doesn’t answer her and turns his attention back to his wound. “But you’re ok. You’re ok.”

Dean asks if there is anyone who would have beef with them and Weems tells them about the woman who stabbed him and then drove away in a VW bug. Dean pulls Dani and Sam aside while Sully tends to Weems’ stab wounds.

“So, this is a good thing, right?”

“Uh, no, this is a _great_ thing. I mean, a manicorn? A freakin’ mermaid? What am I supposed to do with that? But a chick in a car? That’s terra firma. I’m home.”

Sam tells them both to go and he will stay behind to watch the two that are there. But before they go, Dean asks Weems what’s so special about him. As in why kids like him. And he displays some wicked awesome air guitar skills. As Dean and Dani leave, Sully goes to get some bandages.

She walks with Dean to try to find tracks. Both not talking as they focus on their tasks. Seeing fresh tire tracks they decide to take Baby to try and find the car. But before they can get in, Sully rushes up to them.

“Dani! I just got a call from Darwin.”

“You mean like the one you got from Weems?”

“Yeah. He’s in trouble.”

“Where?” Sully gives them the rough location. “I’ll go get him. You help Weems.”

“Ok. Thanks! Be careful!” He smiles before rushing off.

She looks at Dean over the roof of the Impala. “The location is along the way. We could ride together and then spilt up?”

“I’ll look for the car while you look for a giant turtle?”

“Tortoise. But yeah. I feel like we can handle that.”

“Great. Hop in.”

They ride together in silence and when the road forks, he stops and she gets out. She watches him drive away, her chest tightening as it harkens back to another time and place. But just before he is out of sight, he looks back over the seat and gives her a wave. As if he knew watching those taillights fall away would give her some anxiety. She turns from road, taking a deep breath, before pulling out her flashlight and jogging into the darkness.

After a few minutes, she sees what looks to be a large mound of fabric illuminated by the headlights of an old VW bug. She pulls out her gun, puts the flashlight away, and reaches for her phone as she approaches. The darkness makes it hard to see, so she is cautious. The closer she gets, the more the mound takes shape. What from a distance looked like a mound of fabric is really a large shell wrapped in clothing. The black pant legs and white shirt sleeves gathered around the four tucking in limbs and spattered with mud.

The unsub, she chuckles at the cross use of the moniker, can’t be far off. Likely attacking the humanoid tortoise using her headlights to see him and then laying in wait for him to poke his head out. The second she thinks this is a trap, she feels a stiff crack to the back of her head. She drops her gun as she stumbles forward, hitting her forehead on the hard shell. She turns to stand and gets hit in the face and is enveloped by darkness.

***

When she comes to, her ears ring, her head spins, and her vision is blurry. She blinks to clear them and moves her hand to rub them to find that she hands are tied behind her and around a wooden beam.

A female’s voice, dripping with callousness, reacts to her movement, “Good. You’re awake. Your brothers are on their way.”

She groans as the darkened room and her own dizziness makes it hard to see. “Who the hell are you?”

She watches the hooded shadow walk towards her. “I think we have a mutual imaginary friend.” She leans down and gets right in Dani’s face. “You know Sully?” Dani doesn’t say anything as she backs away. She’s more disappointed in herself than anything. She got herself captured and is now bait for her brothers and Sully. The girl moves around the room and Dani takes this moment to take in her surroundings.

She is facing an open door in what appears to be a disused barn. The shell and clothing mound that is Darwin, which she has no idea if he is alive or dead at this point since the shell isn’t exactly moving, has been moved in from the outside. She wonders how long she was out if this girl, who doesn’t look very big and wasn’t strong enough to knock her out in one hit, was able to get them both into this barn.

She watches the girl snag the large knife from the table it is stabbed into it and move to circle behind where Dani is tied. The girl presses the knife to Dani’s throat. And she starts thinking through ways to get free. She doesn’t have to wait long for them to walk in that door.

Sam yells, “Hold it!” and both brothers pull out their guns and take aim.

Sully steps around Sam and sees the girls. Dani watches recognition fill his expression. “Reese?”

The brothers glance over at him before turning their attention back to the girl. She leers at them, “Hey, stranger. You give me Sully, I give you your sister.”

“What do you want with Sully?”

“Ask him. He’s the one who killed my sister.”

Sully inhales sharply. “It was an accident.” All eyes are now on him. “Reese and her twin sister, they were my first kids after I thought I screwed things up with you.”

“So, this is _his_ fault?”

“No! No, Reese, I’m the one that bungled it. It was me.” Reese lowers the knife from Dani’s throat and moves towards Sully. Dani struggles against her bindings as she walks. “I should never have let her chase me into the street. We were just playing tag. I don’t know why I didn’t see the car coming. That’s why I never went back in the field. That’s why I never found another kid.” The siblings feel for him. All aggressive thoughts leave Dani’s mind, but she still searches for a way to cut the ropes. And reaches around until she feels a sharp metal clamp to cut them with. “I was too scared I’d hurt them.”

“Do you know how bad you messed me up? ‘Audrey’s dead because of the invisible man.’ Try telling that to about 10 different kiddie shrinks. I always wondered if Sully was real, so I got obsessed with folklore. I studied abroad in Romania, and then I found out he’s a zanna.”

Sam has lowered his gun, but has it ready as she slowly walks forward, “Yes, and zanna are good.”

“That’s what the witch tried to tell me, too.”

“The witch?”

“She sold me a spell so that I’d be able to see these freaks. She gave me this, too.” She looks down at the knife in her hand and turns it over. “Finally, I can save other kids from these monsters.”

“So, you killed my friends just to get to me?”

“And I would’ve done it sooner if these three hadn’t shown up.”

“Why didn’t you call? I would’ve come.”

Reese sneers at him, “Honestly, I kinda liked watching you suffer. You weren’t just Audrey’s best friend. You were mine, too. And after she died, Sully, I… I never need you more.”

All the chirpiness that Dani had seen from him has completely vanished. He stares at the ground, no joy in his voice. “I panicked when Audrey died, and I left you to deal with the pain ‘cause I couldn’t handle being the one that caused it.”

“So, maybe I’ll take something _you_ love, Sully.” She glares at Sam. “A _real_ person.”

Both brothers raise their guns. “That’s not gonna happen.”

“Will killing me make you feel better?”

“No, Sully, that’s not the answer.”

Sully steps forward and pushes Sam’s gun down. “This is what I do. Whatever’s best for the kid. Reesy…” He looks her right in the eye and whispers, “If this is what you need, I’m okay with it.”

She takes a few steps forward. “I’m still mad.” She raises the knife and presses it to his chest. “I can’t stop it. I’m just still _so mad!_ ”

Dani struggles to cut through the thick rope. She is making progress but not fast enough. She sighs in frustration. She watches Sully smile softly at Reese. Dean steps forward after lowering his gun. “Reese. Trust me. Revenge? Ain’t gonna make you feel better.” He slowly walks around the outside of the room to end up between Dani and Reese. “Listen, I have seen more than my share of monsters. And I mean _real_ monsters. Bad. These guys? These are Sesame Street Mother Teresas. But when I wasn’t these for my little brother…” He looks back at Dani, “And my little sister.” She nods to him to keep going. “They were.” He gestures to the fabric covered shell, then to Sully. “Sully was.” Dean and Sully share a brief moment before he continues. “Now, look, I’m not saying that he didn’t make a mistake, but you know that there is not a monstrous bone in his body.

Reese’s hand shakes as she press the knife against Sully’s chest and struggles to keep her tears in. Sully looks her in the eye and whispers, “I’m so, _so_ sorry.” The tears fall as she looks up at him. She lowers her hand slowly, then drops the knife which clatters on the floor. Sully embraces her and she cries into his shoulder. He holds the back of her head. “Oh, Reesy, I’m so sorry.”

Dean steps forward and picks the knife up off the floor just as Dani breaks through the ropes. She moves past her brother, now that the danger has passed and kneels down next to the shell. “Darwin? It’s me. Dani. Are you ok?” She places her hand on the shell, remembering the cool textured ridges as if it were yesterday. Dean touches her shoulder and she looks up at him. He nods his head towards the door, letting her know that he and Sam will be outside. She and watches all four of them leave the barn.

She looks back to where her hand rests on the shell. She has never seen him shelled up before now. She is honestly a little surprised that he can. Not feeling any movement, she crawls around to the head hole and peeks in. His beard hangs over the sleeved, curled up arms. His nose and squeezed closed eyes just visible within the shadows. She presses herself to the floor, resting her chin on her forearms. She reaches out and softly touches his arm. “Tutum est crusta tuis egredientur. Old Friend.” She watches one eye open then the other. She sees the recognition brighten his features and his head begins to move. She pushes herself up off the floor and waits for him to fully emerge. His clothes are covered in dirt, likely from being dragged in here, as well as torn in some spots. He pulls himself stiffly off the ground and stretches. She smiles as at him when his eyes meet hers at the same level. “You are shorter than I remember.”

His wrinkled skin puckers as he returns her smile. His low, lumbering voice is full of warmth and relief. “I am used to associating with children who are statistically shorter than full grown adults.” He raises his scaly, clawed hand and brings it to rest on her shoulder. “But I would recognize those eyes anywhere.” He gives her shoulder a squeeze before he begins to dust himself off. “Your annunciation has improved.”

She smiles brightly. “It has been 20 years and I’ve had a lot of practice since then.”

“That you have.” He looks around the room. “The danger has passed then?”

She nods. “Sully and my brothers took Reese outside.”

“Reese? Sully’s… I see. I now understand why she was so upset.” He nods. “I suppose I was wrong.”

“Wrong?”

“I didn’t want Sully to ask hunters, specifically your brothers, for help. My memory is long and I still remember your pain.”

She scratches the back of her hand. “They weren’t at fault for any of that. That blame rest solely on my father’s shoulders.” She gives him a quick once over. “Did she hurt you?”

He shakes his head then knocks on his shelled stomach. She nods. He then hooks his finger into a hole cut into his shirt. “Not from lack of trying.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugs. “No harm done. Thank you for your assistance.”

She smirks and shrugs. “It’s what we do.”

He glances towards the doorway when the sound a car backfiring catches his attention. “I suppose we should get out of this place.”

She nods and starts walking, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Yeah. And I’m sure there is a child somewhere around here who will be missing you soon.”

He nods slowly. “I was nice to see you again, Dani.”

“You too.”

“I hope you are able to live more honestly than you were back then.”

“For the most part.”

They walk together towards the door. “Well, if you ever need me…” He taps his temple and she smiles.

“I will keep it in mind.”

She walks behind him as he crosses the threshold. Darwin walks right up to Sully as he continues to dust himself off. He grabs his arm and gives it a squeeze. Dani smirks as both brothers take in the bizarre new zanna. Sully smiles brightly at him and Darwin returns it. He gives his arm a pat. “I’m getting too old for this shit.” With one final smile at Dani, he vanishes. The Winchesters then bid farewell to Sully before he vanishes as well.

They load into the Impala and return to the motel. None of them really speaking as Dean drives. They gather their belongings and hit the road. Dani pulls her laptop from her bag to hack herself a redeye home. As she closes the laptop and loads it into her bag, Sam turns away from the window.

“We need to seriously discuss me going to the cage.”

“Okay. Not happening. Good talk.” Sam looks into his lap as Dean looks over. He glances back at Dani before continuing. “Sam, even if these visions are real…”

“Yeah. It’s Lucifer? And Me? In the cage? I know. But this… this lump in my throat… It’s not an excuse, not anymore.”

“We’ll find another way. Okay? There’s always another way.”

“Okay. Then tell me.” Sam looks over at Dean. “What is the other way?”

Silence falls over the car as Dean looks over at Sam and then back at the road. Dani chews on the inside of her lip debating on whether or not she should say that she has another way. She can see that they are both struggling with this. If she has a way, shouldn’t they at least talk about it? She sighs. “There’s always Michael.”

Both of them release a resounding, “No,” at the same time.

She sighs again and leans forward. She folds her arms on the back of the bench seat and sticks her head up front so that she can see both of their faces. “Sam’s right. It’s worth thinking about.”

“Neither you are going back to the cage.”

“Dean… let me speak my peace before you shoot me down.” She sighs. “I know we never really talked about… my time in the cage.”

Sam looks over at her. “You didn’t want to talk about it.”

Dean nods. “Not that we blame you. We’ve all been to Hell in one way or another.”

“Very true, but uh… my time was… different. Michael helped shield me. He was willing to compromise before. He might be… a little batshit now, but I think he’d talk to me. He would know just as much as Lucifer, right? I’m not saying it’s a good idea. But it’s better than Lucifer. Just… think about all of this, ok? And if you make a decision, I want in.” She looks her twin dead in the eye. “Sam, whatever these visions are, you don’t have to deal with them alone.” He nods and she turns to look at Dean. “I know that set to your jaw. Just think on it. We’re not making this decision now. Ok?” He doesn’t respond. “Dean.”

“Fine.”

“Good enough, I guess. But I’m the most serious about including me in whatever is decided. For the record, I’m going to be pissed if you address this without me.” She falls back into the backseat and studies both of them as Dean drives to the airport. She suddenly feels very tired. Mentioning the cage and her time within it has reawakened those memories and it puts her in a bit of a fog. Add all the other memories pulled to the surface with this case. To distract herself, she tries to recall something else, anything else. Happy memories. Or at least not painful ones.

By the time they reach the airport, she is dozing in the backseat. Dean reaches back and shakes her knee. “Dani. We’re here.”

“Oh. Shit. That was faster than I expected.”

They all get out of the car and meet on the sidewalk. Sam hugs her first. A warm crushing hug, that she returns with just as much warmth and strength. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Sammy. Keep each other safe.”

“Keep yourself safe. And say hello to that boyfriend for us.”

Dean pulls her into a tight hug and gives her a squeeze for good measure. “And tell him if he breaks your heart, we’ll come find him.”

“I’m going to leave that part out. Love you, Big Bro.”

“Love you too.”

They part and Sam hands her bag to her. She heads for the sliding glass doors. She stops and waves at them both before turning to go further into the airport.

***

She shoves her front door open and drops her bag and jacket onto the floor. She kicks the door closed and disarms her alarm, only to set it and lock the door all over again. It has been long and tiring 5 days. The first day was easy. Pretending to be someone she isn’t, keeping her cool, not letting everyone know that she figured out their test. That was actually the hardest part, hiding from everyone except her partner that she figured it out. Barely sleeping due to briefings at dawn and not getting back to her room until well after 3 am.

Trudging through her apartment, mindlessly checking traps and wards out of habit, but not really seeing them. She starts to empty her pockets, setting her burner on the nightstand next to her personal. The light blinking letting her know that people want her to reconnect to her life. She picks it up and sees that it is mostly messages she has already received but didn’t register as read. She opts to respond later. But she remembers her promise as she is setting it down. She smiles, she knows he is probably asleep at this hour, but she made a promise and she intends to keep it.

The phone rings and then his voicemail picks up. She missed his voice more than she thought. “You’ve reached Dr. Spencer Reid with the Behavioral Analysis Unit. I can’t come to the phone right now. Please leave a detailed message so that I can return your call. Thanks.”

“Dr. Reid, this is SSA Winchester. I just wanted to let you know that my case has ended and I’m home. I won’t be up for much longer, but feel free to call me if it’s within the next half hour.” She hangs up and drops it on the nightstand.

She strips to nothing and tosses the clothing in the hamper in her closet. She gathers up fresh pjs, tossing them on the bed on her way to the bathroom. Where she takes a long hot shower, washing this other woman off of her, trying to get back into the balancing act that is her life.

Once the water has been shut off, she hears someone knocking on her front door. She quickly dries herself off and throws on her pjs. Her hair drips and hangs heavily around her. She doesn’t waste time with the safe and instead pulls the gun she keeps between the mattress and headboard. She quietly pads through the living room. She places the muzzle against the door as she peeps through the hole. She sighs and lowers the gun. She turns off the alarm and sets the gun on the small table where her keys go. She unlocks the door and his face lights up.

“You are lucky I don’t shoot first.”

He sees the gun on the table behind her. “Sorry. I should have called first.” He holds up a white plastic bag. “I brought you food.”

“Spence. It is late. And I exhausted.”

“There’s pie.”

She laughs and steps to the side. “Then by all means.” She watches him walk in, shaking her head. She closes and locks the door. “Have a seat. Just let me take care of…” she gestures to her head, “all this.” She starts walking then turns to face him. “Are you wearing pjs?”

He smiles bashfully. “Well, tomorrow is Sunday. And you are right, it’s late. I was asleep when you called. A half hour didn’t give me much time to act.”

“Technically, today is Sunday. And I’m not sure I have plans with Penelope. I haven’t told her I’m home yet.”

“I’m the only one who knows?”

“You and my whole unit. But yeah.”

He motions towards her bedroom. “I’ll get all this set out. You finish prepping for bed... if that’s what you were doing.”

“It _was_.” She smiles, snags the gun off the table, and goes into her room, leaving the door open since she’s already dressed. She returns the gun to its home and combs out her hair. She opts to leave it down for the sake of time. No reason to keep him waiting longer than she needs to.

When she reenters the living room, he has made himself at home. His coat and scarf hang on the coat rack, his shoes on the floor beside it. Her bag have been moved from the middle of the entry area to a spot near the coat rack, her jacket hanging in its rightful place. White foam boxes litter the coffee table and the smell of fresh brewing coffee wafts from the kitchen. He is reclined on the couch, his head leaned back, his mismatched socked feet are kicked up on the coffee table.

She plops down beside him on the couch. “Hi.”

He turns his head to the side with a big smile on his face. “Hi back.” He reaches over and cups her jaw. He runs his thumb below her eyes. “You look tired.”

“I am. But happy to see you.”

He shifts over and brushes his lips against hers. She pushes her face closer to solidify the kiss. They both hum and he leans away. “We should eat before it gets cold. Or melts.”

“Melts?”

He shifts forward and reaches for a square container. “It’s not blueberry, but I figured you wouldn’t mind.” He grabs another one and a plastic spoon. “And I made sure to order ala mode.”

She takes the first box and opens it. “Ooo. Pecan. And warm too.” She takes the cold box from him and sets the pie in her lap. She opens and dumps the ice cream on top of the pie. He smiles as she makes grabby hands towards the spoon.

“I’ll get your coffee.”

She smiles and shoves the spoon in her mouth. She moans softly and sinks further down on the couch. He licks his lips and gets off the couch. He watches her from the kitchen as she devours the pie. Derek can give him shit all he wants. This is exactly what both of them need. Especially her by the look of it. She is eating like she hasn’t truly eaten in days. He wants to ask about her case, but he knows she can’t say much.

She is finished with the pie and rummaging through the boxes by the time he arrives with the coffee. “Which is mine?”

“Which ever you want. I know the place is one of your favorites. A replay of date 2, I suppose.”

She smiles brightly and gladly accepts the coffee. “Nothing for you then?”

He laughs. “I will take whatever you don’t want.”

“Then it’s pancakes for me.” He chuckles and watches her gather her supplies. They don’t talk much while they eat. But once their meal is done and he has cleared the trash away, he sits beside her and she leans against him. He lifts his arm and drapes it over her shoulder. “Thanks for this.”

“You’re welcome. Though I will admit that it is completely selfish.”

“Is that so?”

He smiles and makes a big show of looking around her apartment. “Can you keep a secret?”

She chuckles. “Absolutely.”

“Well… don’t tell anyone, but I happened to miss you while you were incommunicado.”

She hums and gives his ribs a squeeze. “Your secret is safe with me, Dr. Reid. So, long as you promise not to tell anyone that the feeling was mutual.”

“Deal.” He seals it by kissing the top of her head. She hums and her arms tighten around him. He plays with the ends of her hair while they simply sit there, content with each other’s company. She turns her face to bury a yawn against his side. “I think it’s past someone’s bedtime.”

“Ten more minutes, mom.”

He rumbles with soft laugher. “I really should let you sleep.”

“This reminds me of a conversation we’ve had before. What did you say?” She shifts beside him to lay on her back and she rests her head on his thigh. “Then talk to me until I do.”

“Alright. What should I talk about then?”

“Did you get a case?” He nods. “Where?”

“LA.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Do you really want to hear about it?”

She takes his hand and laces her finger with his. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”

He smiles softly down at her. Her eyes are already threatening to close. “We got called in because there was a saran attack on a public bus.” He doesn’t summarize as he might for someone else outside of the job. Knowing that she wants to be on the team, knowing that she will do her best even in her exhausted state to listen to every word, makes him want to leave nothing out. He’s not sure where in his retelling he is when he feels her hand go limp in his, but it brings him up short. He looks down at her sleeping face and is at a complete loss as to what to do. Does he wake her and make her go to bed? He doesn’t think he can move off the couch without waking her nor does he think he can just sit there until she wakes. He is tired himself and should probably go home.

He gives her hand a squeeze and a shake. Her eyes pop open as she inhales deeply. “I’m sorry. I passed out on you. Keep going.” She rubs her eye with her free hand.

He shakes his head. “I should let you sleep.”

She covers her yawn with the back of her hand. “Mmm. Sleep is good.”

“Then go to bed. We can pick this up when you wake up.”

She sits up and scratches her head. She isn’t ready to say goodbye yet. She wants him to stay despite the fact that she will be unconscious. Maybe this is the type of girlfriend she is? Once they are comfortable enough, she never wants them to leave. Her history leans to this as both of her boyfriends ended up living with her. “Does this mean you’re leaving?”

“What else would I do?”

“You could… stay?”

“Stay?”

She shrugs and looks back at him over her shoulder. “Would that be… too much? I mean you’re already here and in your pjs. And you plan on hanging with me here tomorrow. Whether or not we watch Doctor Who with Penny. So… how about it? Do you want to stay?”

“I… do… I just…”

“Is this another first?” He nods. She ruffles her hair and then stands up off the couch. “You don’t have to… if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“I know.”

She fiddles with the hem of her tank. “I… I don’t want to pressure you. And you don’t even have to sleep in my bed… unless you want to. My couch is pretty comfy and…” He stands and takes her hands. He can see that she’s floundering. That she feels that she’s made a mistake in her sleep deprived, half wake state. He is surprised by the invitation, but not entirely put off by it. It makes logical sense. He’s tired. He’s coming back over here anyway. And as she pointed out, he is already in his pajamas.

“I’ll stay.”

“I… really?”

“If you want me to stay, how can I say no? Not only does it make logical sense, but I’m also not ready to say goodbye yet. I missed you too much to let my own… comfort zone keep me from you.”

She smiles and steps forward to hug him. She chuckles. “I am starting to feel like some clingy girl.”

He chuckles and rubs her back. “Cling away.”

She steps back and gestures to her bedroom. “As my guest, you have the choice of where you want to sleep. The couch, which has a quilt right there and isn’t so bad as far as couches are concerned. Or you can sleep with me. The choice is yours.” She moves around him to let him think. Moving into the kitchen to shut it all down. Lights. Coffee pot.

He stands in her bedroom door. Queen sized. Multiple pillows, but not the decorative kind. These are meant to be used. Though the ones on the right side by the nightstand that contains her alarm clock and phones are clearly the ones she uses. Have others used the ones of the other side? Or does she have then for the symmetry? He gets the notion that he should probably be more nervous about this than he is. He’s never shared a bed with anyone before. Shared a room? Sure. Stayed over at a friend’s and slept on their couch? Sure. Maybe it’s because the plan is simple. To sleep. Nothing more.

She leans on the other side of the door frame. “Still weighing your options?”

“I know which way I’m leaning.”

“Well, if it is any consolation,” she moves past him and pulls back the covers on her side, “I’m not a cuddler. I like my space when I’m sleeping.”

“I don’t know my cuddler status.”

She chuckles. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out one day. Today is not that day.” She smiles at him before sitting on the bed and sliding beneath the covers. “Have you decided?”

He shoves off the door frame and heads towards the left side of the bed. He pauses and glances towards the bathroom door. He wonders if he should ask about the light. He shakes his head and continues. She reaches over and pulls down the covers. He sits and covers his legs. She curls onto her side facing him, pulling the covers to her chin and hugging a pillow to her head. She smiles softly then purses her lips. He leans over and gives her a kiss. “Night!”

He smiles as she flops around until her back is to him and she is on her stomach. “Good night, Dani.” Her hair is everywhere. She grumbles and reaches over to the nightstand to fish a spare hair tie from the drawer. She sloppily throws it into a ponytail and then hugs her pillow. He slides further into the bed, laying on his back, the covers and his hands resting on his chest. Her breathing levels out and he watches the steady rise and fall of her back. He’s not sure he’ll be able to sleep. Eating in the middle of the night and being near her has activated his insomnia, not to mention this whole bed sharing experience is new. His mind likes to fixate and pick apart new things. He closes his eyes and practices some slow breathing into order to relax his body.

He feels her move. He turns his head to the side and sees that she has shifted to favor her other side, meaning her face is now facing him. There is plenty of space between them as this move has also shifted her body closer to the edge on her side. He reaches out and brushes a few strands she missed behind her ear. He smiles to himself. He knows the kind of agent she is. He has seen some of her athletics at work. She has been described as a badass, but right now… she looks so soft. So… delicate.

From the things he has learned or inferred about her, this feels like a big step for her. Allowing him to stay in her personal sanctuary. With all the locks and the alarm system and at least one gun that’s not in her safe. It occurs to him that he never saw her put the one she brought with her to the door away. His eye lids begin to droop as he watches her sleep. He notices that her eyes are moving behind her closed lids. Wondering what she is dreaming about is his last thought before falling is asleep himself.

***

The sun is streaming through a crack in the curtains when she finally wakes. She groans, then stretches. In that stretch, she realizes that he isn’t there and his side of the bed has been made. Well, as best it can be made while someone is still sleeping in the bed. She reaches back for her cell and sees that it is barely past 8 am. She groans again having expected it to be later. She grabs her phone then fires off a message to Penny.

_Got home late last night. Down to Dr. Who?_

She stretches again and flings the covers off. She goes into the bathroom to brush her teeth and pee. She catches her reflection and quickly grabs a brush to get her hair into a proper ponytail. The smell of coffee wafts through her open bedroom door, which makes her smile for two reasons. One, coffee. Two, he’s still here.

Her phone goes off and she scoops it up.

_Yes! When?!_

_I’m up. Though I might be going back to sleep. Still up in the air._

_Also, you should know Spencer is already here._

_I will be there at 2. Give you more time to sleep._

_Also… trying not to read too much into that._

_Nothing happened. Well, something happened but not in that way._

_I will give you the details later._

_Ok. Do I need to bring anything?_

_No?_

_I’ll bring some drinks and snacks._

_Sound good. See you at 2._

She hangs up the phone, shaking her head and smiling. The smell of coffee reminds her of her house guest. She puts the phone on the nightstand, fully intending to go back to sleep after seeing her boyfriend.

She plops on the couch beside him and looks over the page to see what he’s reading. She smiles. “Japanese folklore, eh?”

“After studying your shelves again, which I hope you don’t mind...”

“I don’t. Though I would ask that you not read the journals. They are…”

“Private. You told me. There are a lot of them.”

“Right. Most of them were Bobby’s. Some are mine. Nothing private really on my end. Mostly notes and homemade indexes on various myths.”

“Those sound cool. But I’ll respect your wishes. Anyway, I decided I should explore the rest of your books in Japanese to keep practicing. Though I will admit that I am deeply fascinated by your collection.”

“It’s eclectic. And some of it is pretty old. Bobby was a collector, like me. He treasured those books. He had copies made, several in fact, of each one he owned. In hindsight, it was a good idea.”

“What happened?”

“House fire. He would have lost everything had I not been there.”

“What do you mean?”

“He wasn’t home when it happened. I was in the process of moving out on my own. All my stuff was out, I had come back to double check. And I saw the smoke. I know it was stupid, but I went in to save those books. The originals, the rare ones, the ones that couldn’t be replaced. And other collectables I know he’d be upset to lose.”

“Wow. I can’t believe you ran into a burning house to save books.”

“I know it was dumb. I mean the house burned to the ground. To my credit, I stopped going in once the fire was going in earnest. I think I got 75% of his library. Having an eidetic memory definitely came in handy.”

“Risking your life to save a library?”

“Judge me all you like but saving one of the largest private collections of mythology in South Dakota was up there with trying to save the library of Alexandria from burning when Caesar set fire to the ships and docks to me.”

He laughs. “An apt comparison. Did you get the collection when he passed?”

“No, actually. He gifted me all of them when I signed up for the FBI and got my own place.” She rubs her eye. “Well, you are welcome to read the whole thing if you want. Though I should warn you some of the books are in languages you don’t know.”

“I may have to remedy that.”

She yawns. “I’m going back to bed. I haven’t gotten near enough sleep.”

“Under 4 hours.”

“Ugh. Yeah. Definitely going back to bed.” She starts to stand and then tilts her head at him. “How are not tired?”

“My circadian rhythm has me up and wide awake by 6. I usually wake before my alarm. It is exceptionally rare that I sleep in.”

She chuckles. “I am deeply dependent on an alarm clock. My phone also wakes me, but I am notorious for turning off the alarm if it is on my phone.”

“Good to know.”

“Penelope is coming over for Doctor Who at 2.”

He looks over at her and she is sitting spaced out on the couch. “Got to bed, Dani.”

“You made me coffee.”

“To be fair, I made myself coffee.”

“You’re my guest.”

“Are you feeling guilty about leaving me unattended in your apartment?”

“A little.”

“Well, don’t. I have access to books I’ve never read and you are offering me time to read some of them. I’m good. Go to bed.”

She smiles and ruffles his hair. “You’re the best.”

“I try.” He smirks and leans towards her. She catches his meaning and plants a kiss on his lips.

“You succeed.” She gets up and goes back to bed.

Hours later, she is woken up by the bed moving. Knowing he’s there, her instincts to defend herself don’t kick in. Which is fortunate as she would hate to explain why she sleeps with a gun strapped between her mattress and headboard. His hand comes to rest on her shoulder and gives her a little shake. She stirs fully and rolls onto her back. She smiles softly and whispers, “Hey.”

“Hey. Sorry to wake you, but Penelope will be here in a half hour.”

She rubs her eyes and nods. “Good call. I neglected to set an alarm.”

He shrugs. “You have me.”

“True.” She sits up and rubs her neck. “Read my whole library yet?”

He laughs. “No. I’m pacing myself.”

“Ah. So, what have you been doing to entertain yourself?”

“Borrowing your streaming services.”

She laughs and moves to get out of bed. He follows her into the kitchen as she starts digging through her take out menus. “I take it you don’t have a subscription.”

“I don’t have a tv or computer at all.”

She places three menus on the island and slides them his way. “So, what have you been watching?”

“Documentaries mostly. I’m also working on my verbal comprehension of Japanese too.”

“I recommend anime for that. Subbed not dubbed.”

“I watched _Ju-on_.”

She nods. “That’s a classic horror movie.”

“Not a fan?”

She shrugs. “I find horror movies either cheesy or completely unfathomable.”

“Don’t scare easy then?”

She laughs. If only he knew. “Nope. I laugh my way through haunted houses.”

“So, I won’t be talking you into going with me to anything Halloween related?”

“Is that your favorite holiday?” He nods. “This gunna be a deal breaker?”

“I’m used to be people not being as into Halloween as I am.”

“So, if I were to tell you I hate Halloween, you’d be ok with that?”

“Hate? You _hate_ Halloween? You hate a holiday based on mythology and urban legends?”

She rolls her eyes and nods. “Yeah. I do. I can’t really tell you why,” because doing so would force her to reveal that some stupid holiday doesn’t even come close to her real life, “I just do.”

“Hmm. Maybe I can change your mind on that.”

“Doubtful. Penelope gave up years ago and she’s like a dog with a bone on a lot of things.”

“Would you go somewhere with me if I asked?”

“For you? To see you enjoy a holiday made up of expensive low-quality costumes and candy? Sure.”

“What if I invited you to something else? Something you mentioned being dragged to before?”

“A sympathy?”

“A concert is a more accurate description.”

“So, it’s one specific group or work by a specific person?”

“Person. He’s a Korean pianist. Based on some of the songs in your collection, I think you’ll think it. It’s next Saturday, but I haven’t purchased the tickets yet.”

The intercom rings and she goes over to it. Penelope waves at the camera and she buzzes her up. “Why not?”

“Our jobs.”

“Ah. Well, if you are asking me to go with you, then sure.” He leaves the stool he was sitting in at the island, menu in hand, and goes to stand with her by the door.

“I’m asking you on a date. But if you aren’t interested in this event, I can come up with something else.”

“I would love to go on another formal date with you and if you want to plan it, I will go along with it fully. We can get dressed up and do things you like.”

“You don’t mind doing something just because I like it?”

She wraps her arms around his neck and smiles up at him. “I like to see you enjoying yourself. It’s just one of the many ways a person can get to know another.”

“True. So, you’ll go along with whatever I plan?”

“Yep. I just need to know the general idea of what’s happening so that I can dress appropriately.”

“Great. I’ll buy those tickets tomorrow.” He bends down to kiss her as Penelope knocks on the door. She smiles and steps back. She taps the menu in his hand.

“Order for us?”

“Sure.”

“They have my info on file as far as payment and the things I like are marked.” She opens the door and gets hug attacked. She laughs and returns it. “Penny. I wasn’t gone that long.”

“Long enough. And I wasn’t able to just talk to you whenever I wanted which made it worse.”

“You two had each other.”

“Hardly. He was on a case and we can’t talk about you two at work and… you look tired.”

“It’s been a long week, but I’m good. Promise. It wasn’t even dangerous.”

“Well, that’s a relief! Disc 3 of Season 2, right?”

“Yeah.”

Spencer waves hello. “What do you want to eat?” He holds up the menu.

“Veggie stir fry.”

“Got it.”

They settle into that same rhythm they had the Sunday prior, except the awkwardness is completely gone. Just three friends eating and watching Doctor Who together. She bakes cupcakes this time and when it comes time to frost them, she sets out colored sugars and various sprinkles for them. She makes a batch of buttercream and colors it however they want it. Purple and pink for Penelope. Blue and green for Spencer. She keeps it white for herself. She then pipes the white fluffy cakes with the perfect amount of icing. It is the perfect carefree evening. And it feels so damn normal, which worries her. Something is bound to crop up soon and she’s is starting to fear that all this normal is starting to spoil her.

The further they get into the show the more she thinks that maybe she should put her own feelings aside and do something special for him for his birthday/Halloween. He may have said it was fine that she didn’t like the holiday, but she could tell he was a little disappointed. Watching the way Rose looks at The Doctor gives her the perfect idea of what to do.


	11. Our Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays, everybody! I hope that the rest of your year has some semblance of joy and happiness. Fingers crossed that 2021 is at least a tiny bit better than this one!

Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 3 “Till Death Do Us Part” happens mostly as aired. Alterations below.

She sits at her desk in a near empty office. The briefing on Monday went really well, but there’s a cooldown time for new undercover agents. So, here she sits at her desk, reading case files, crafting alternate identities to kill time, and trolling the internet looking for someone doing something illegal and heinous. It’s is Thursday now and she is bored out of her mind.

Her work phone rings and she grabs it off the desk with the reflexes of a cat. “Winchester.”

“Hey Dani. It’s Penelope.”

“I saw that on the screen. What’s up? Must be something work related if you are calling me on this line.”

“It is. You were with us when we brought in Montolo. And you know that he told Morgan they were after the Dirty Dozen?”

“Uh huh. And I know you’ve been slaving trying to figure out who they are.”

“Right. Derek suggested that maybe…”

“I can root around. See what I can find. An extra set of eyes can’t hurt.”

“Thank you. Also, you should know they got a case.”

“Where to this time?”

“Georgia.”

“Any particularly reason you’re telling me?”

“Your date…”

Dani sighs. “Right. A case could interfere if they are gone too long. But it’s on Saturday. We’re still on for shopping and we will just hope for the best. He will be disappointed and out some money if we miss it, but we both know that’s not what’s important.”

“Right. Optimism. That’s a thing. I gotta get back to digging.”

“And I will start digging.”

“Thank you. This whole Dirty Dozen thing is driving me nuts.”

“I’m on it. And I will stay on it until we figure it out.”

“What if you get a case?”

“Pen, you should know by now that I am the queen of multitasking.”

“True. Talk to you later.”

“Bye.” Dani hangs up and wastes no time digging. She starts with what’s left of the Silk Road, sifting through the dark web for anything that has fallen through the cracks. She’s not sure how much time has passed when her personal phone rings. It’s Spencer. She answers, “Penny told me.”

“I was hoping she would.”

“Georgia, huh?”

“Yeah. We just landed. I’m headed to the M.E. and I figured I should let you know. I’m worried about our date Saturday.”

“I’m not. You guys are rock stars. You’ll work it out and be home well before our date.”

“I thought you were a realist.”

“I’m erring on the side of optimism right now. I want to see you in your element.”

“You’ve worked a case with me before.”

“Not what I meant and you know it.”

“I do. I should focus on driving.”

“I will see you Saturday.”

“Saturday.” He says it like he is making it his mission. Not that she thinks they’ll rush the case just to get home. It wouldn’t serve anyone if he did. Speed doesn’t always mean success. “Bye.”

“Call me or text me, if you need to.”

“I will. Bye.”

“Bye.”

She places the phone back on her desk. She hopes the case is solved quickly. Not just for their planned romantic outing, but also because people are likely dying and the faster they figure it out, the faster they stop.

***

Friday rolls around and she hasn’t heard anything from them. Not that she expected to. She is totally cool with the radio silence while they are working a case. She’ll be the same way when she has to go undercover again, so it is good practice to get used to the distance now. She meets Penelope in the lobby when closing time hits.

“Hey! They caught the killer.”

“That’s good. Date’s still on then.”

“Which means we’re still good for shopping right? Maybe a little pampering?”

“If you want it to be shopping and pampering, we’re going to need to move this to tomorrow morning.”

Penelope stops walking. “Wait. Are you giving me permission?”

Dani sighs. “Don’t make me regret it.”

Her friend practically squeals. “We can get your hair done and your make up and your nails. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!”

“I’m regretting it already.” Dani sees the shuttle approaching the pick up spot. “I’ve gotta catch that unless you want to go super out of your way to take me home.”

“Go, go! I’ll see you in the morning!”

Dani shakes her head and jogs to the shuttle. She is definitely going to regret giving Penelope free reign like that. But she feels a little guilty. She hasn’t shared as much of her time with Spencer as Penelope would like. Given that Dani is more open with her than almost anyone, it is starting to wear on her friend. Giving her this girl’s day will make her happy and that seems to be what Dani is about these days. She just hopes she won’t live to regret it.

She lets her mind wonder during the long public transit ride home. This is the most formal date they’ve had. The blind one doesn’t count since they were unaware that is was a date going in. Every other date has been super casual. The diner, her apartment, a sushi place, and the hood of her car. Honestly, for her, it feels like a first date. Not that she’s had many of those, not to this level. She didn’t really date so much as go from one nightstands with random guys to a hardcore commitment with one guy in particular. She chuckles to herself. She’s actually a little nervous, which is not a feeling she’s had in regards to a relationship for quite some time.

It’s late when she gets the call from him. She is almost asleep when the phone rings. She snaps awake and snatches the phone from the nightstand. “Hey.”

“Hey. Did I wake you?”

“Nope. Caught me just in time.”

“Oh. Good. I just wanted to let you know that I’m home.”

“Good. We’re still on for tomorrow?”

“Absolutely. I will pick you up at 6. We’ll have dinner after the concert.”

“Can’t wait!”

“Really?”

“Really. I know it’s not, but it feels like our first fancy date. And I’m excited about it.”

“It does sort of feel that way.”

“You sound tired.”

“I am. I didn’t get my inflight nap this time.”

She laughs. “Is that typical?”

“When we have a late flight, yes. But we were talking relationships and though I wanted to participate, since I actually can, I didn’t.”

“Any particular reason?”

“We agreed to keep it out of our work life. So, I didn’t feel right chiming in.”

“Gotcha.”

“Well, I’m going to get some sleep. I’ve got errands to run before our date.”

“Again, I’m looking forward to it.”

“Good night, Dani.”

“Night, Spence.”

She smiles at the phone as she places it back on the nightstand. The longer they are together the easier it is becoming to hang up the phone. Which to her means they are settling into the relationship grove that couples develop. She is happy that theirs isn’t developing in the cutesy, clingy direction. She hates the idea of the whole “you hang up, no you hang up” thing.

***

Dani is laying back in a pedicure chair. When she agreed to a girl’s day filled with pampering before her date, this is not what she had in mind. She is only wearing a robe and she is being attacked by 2 women. One is doing her fingernails and the other is working on her feet. Penny is in the chair beside her. “Ok. After your nails, we need to get your hair done, and you need to get waxed, then we need to…”

“What kind of date do you think this is?”

“Your first _real_ date.”

“The others were real, just not fancy.”

“Exactly! And you said I was in charge so…”

“Ugh. O. K.” She eyes the lady working on her fingers. “But I put my foot down on fake nails.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it all figured out. Now top squirming and enjoy the massage chair.” She grumbles, but let’s the chair work. It’s been a long time since she’s had a massage and, even if this one is done by a machine, she will at least try to enjoy it. She looks over and Penny is chattering to a hairdresser. “I think her hair should be up. She just loves ponytails, so don’t cut too much off.”

“An up-do? Really, Pen? I not going to the prom.”

“Hush. Or I’ll stick around to take pictures of you two as if it were.”

“Ok. Fine. I’ll submit.”

She glares at the woman doing her nails when she starts try to size plastic tips to her fingers. “No fake nails. Remember?” She wrinkles her nose but puts her supplies away. Dani has a few grooming habits, shaving, plucking, occasional waxing, light makeup, but she cuts her own hair when it needs a trim and never does her nails since no one would ever see her toes and she isn’t trying to impress anyone. Plus, fake nails would just get in the way of typing and cleaning her firearms. But she agrees to let both her fingers and her toes be painted to look like they had white tips on them. She isn’t a girly girl and has no idea what the style is called, but she is pretty sure it is French.

She’s being a grump, but if she’s being honest, this is kind of nice. This normal female bonding thing. Though it also makes her want to go hunt something to counter act it all. Time passes slowly when you are in a mundane place that you don’t want to be. She closes her eyes after getting moved to the station to get her hair washed. She wishes time would go faster. She takes a tiny nap before getting moved to the chair to get her hair cut. The hairdresser tries talking to her, but Penny knows she’s not going to be that much of a conversationalist.

“So, what’s going on with your brothers?”

“The usual. Stirring up some cosmic level shit and not knowing how to flush it.”

“Do I even want to know?”

She laughs. “Probably not. I can tell you that we found something out last weekend that will either make you super happy or freak you out.” She glances up at the hairdresser in the mirror. “Now’s probably not the time.”

“True. Do you think this a good… thing?”

“Well, it’s friendly so… yeah.”

“Really? Like just the one or…?”

“All of them. It’s their nature.”

“Oh. That sounds fun. I definitely want to hear all about that.”

Dani hears a loud snip followed by an “oops.” She glares into the mirror. The hairdresser smiles weakly. “I’m so sorry.”

“What did you do?”

“I can fix it I swear!”

“What did you do?”

She bites her lip. “You moved and my hand slipped and…”

“What?”

She holds up a long strand of her hair. Dani groans and her head hangs forward. “This is why I cut my own damn hair.”

“I can still make an up-do and you can still put it up in a ponytail… it’s just going to be a lot shorter.”

Penny jumps up at examine the damage. She smiles brightly. “It’ll be cute!”

She sneers at both women and settles in to let the hairdresser fix it, sulking the entire time. She tries not to watch her cut more and more length off her hair. She grabs the hairdresser by the wrist as she sees her about to cut the front of her hair. “No bangs.”

“But it’ll…”

“I said no bangs. And no layers.”

“It’s… too late for that.”

“Ugh. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”

“You’re almost done.”

“No. Bangs.” The hairdresser nods. Dani grumbles and closes her eyes. She really only had herself to blame for this. If she hadn’t asked her to go shopping with her, she wouldn’t be in this mess. 

The hairdresser taps her shoulder. “Do you want to see it before I put it up?”

Dani opens her eyes. She leans forward in the chair and touches the ends. Her once long flowing hair is now chopped off just above her shoulders. Her natural waves standout so much more now that the length of her hair isn’t weighing them down. She fluffs it a few times as she normal would. The hair falls in front of her face. Penelope smiles. “We don’t need to do the up-do. It looks so cute on you!” She sighs. Nothing she could do about it now.

“Great. Can we go now?”

She starts to get up and Penny pushes her back down. “Let her at least put some product in it so it’ll stay like that.”

“I still have to shower before this date. What’s the point? Let me throw it up and I can deal with this mess later.”

The hairdresser and Penny look at each. Then they both shrug. “Fine. Go back there and get waxed. We have other places to go.” She wastes no time yanking the hair tie off her wrist to throw her hair into a ponytail. It’s a tiny little nub now, and she’s sure with enough movement some of those layers are going to fall into her face. She grumbles again and she heads to back of the salon. She hopes it grows back quickly.

***

Spencer drums on his steering wheel in the parking garage of her building. Her car has been covered up again and Penelope’s car is nowhere to be seen confirming that their girl’s day has concluded. He checks himself in his rear-view mirror. Making sure his tie is straight and is hair looks ok. He doesn’t know why he’s nervous. They have been on dates before. They have spent so much time together that he has no doubts about whether they like each other. Hell, they may not have the official title of boyfriend/girlfriend yet, but they might as well since they’ve agreed to exclusivity. There should be nothing to worry about. 

He kills his car and steps out. He calls the elevator and rocks back and forth on his feet as he waits. He doubles checks the flower he has hidden in his jacket. He’s not sure she’s the type to be impressed by a silly magic trick, but he hopes it at least makes her smile. The doors open and he steps in to press the 4 button. He straightens his clothing one more time. He is wearing a black suit, black vest, black tie, dark purple shirt, and black dress shoes. He hopes he’s not overdressed.

The doors open and he walks down the hall to her door. His heart pounds in his chest and his palms start to sweat. He really has no reason to be nervous. Maybe it’s because this is the first date that he’s planned that the other person knows it’s a date. A date that won’t go sideways out of fear that her stalker might be there. Maybe he’s nervous because he’s about to spend what will potentially be a romantic evening together out in public? He rings the doorbell and waits. He checks the stem at his wrist one last time. He hears her call from inside. “Just a second!” He can hear her rustling around inside. She must be nervous too. 

Dani double checks the purse she has to carry for both of her phones, her keys, and her wallet. She finds those things plus a few make up items that Penny has put in there. Lipstick, powder, concealer. Seeing the tube, she rushes to her bedroom to stand in front of her mirror. She lifts her right arm. The loose-fitting top might be showing more skin than she is used to, but her tattoo is still hidden. She examines herself one last time. The flowing white halter top, which could also be a short dress, covers her chest completely but leaves her entire back visible to below the small of her back. Her arms are completely bare as well. Doesn’t Penny realize it is fall? She has on a pair of shiny black leggings that end at her ankles. She had to fight for those leggings since Penny wanted her to wear a dress. Ankle high, slightly healed black boots cover her newly painted toes. She sneers at her curly hair as it skims her shoulders. She sighs. She shouldn’t keep the poor boy waiting. She goes back into the living room and heads straight for the door. She unlocks all locks and throws the door open.

She smiles brightly. “Hey.”

He is dumb founded. She looks so beautiful and girly. So different from what he’s used to for her. Even the dress she wore for the blind date wasn’t like this. She pushes her hair behind her ear. And that’s when he notices. “Oh wow.”

“It’s horrible, right? There was a hairdresser mishap.”

He shakes his head and smiles. He had a plan for the flower. To use his skills at magic and sleight of hand to just make it appear. But watching her pull at the ends of her shorter hair, he gets a better idea. “No. It looks great.” He motions quickly, reaching up to disguise the action by tucking hair behind her ear. “I particularly like the flower in your hair.”

“The what?” She reaches up and feels the soft petals. She goes into her apartment and he follows her in. She pauses in front of her mirror. A small white and pink flower is tucked into her hair. He leans against her door frame. She smirks. “How did you do that?”

He gives her a one shoulder shrug. “A magician never reveals his secrets.” He holds out his hand. “Are you ready?”

She smiles and takes his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Absolutely.” He leads her through her apartment. She scoops the little clutch purse from the couch. They pause for her to set the alarm and lock the door. All the while their hands stay glued together. She chuckles when the elevator doors close. “Nervous?”

“A little.”

“I can tell.” She squeezes his hand. He goes to pull his sweaty hand away and she pulls it back. “Don’t even think about it.”

“But…”

“I’m teasing you, Spencer. I really don’t mind.”

The doors open and they walk together to his car. He opens the door for her and she smiles as she slides into the red bucket seat. She buckles and folds her hands on the clutch in her lap since she can’t hold his hand when he drives.

“So… we’re going to a fancy concert?”

He chuckles. “That’s one way to look at it.”

“Is there anything I should know before we get there?”

“His name is Yiruma. He is a pianist from Seoul. And I selected this for our date because there are a few of his pieces that sound like something you’d like based on what I’ve heard from your music collection.”

“Really? Which ones?”

“Hmm. I could tell you, but I don’t want to temper your experience too much.”

“You like surprising me?”

“I do. I mean as much as a planned date can be a surprise. But I don’t want to the term ‘dragged’ to be attached to tonight.”

She reaches over to touch his arm. “I don’t feel dragged, so no worries there.”

“That’s good.”

“This morning on the other hand…”

“That bad?”

“Hair aside, I thought it would be fun to have a girl’s day with Penelope. Just hanging out, getting little pampered, finding something to wear tonight…”

“Have I mentioned you look beautiful?”

She smiles and runs her fingers through his hair. “Yes, you have. And thank you. You clean up nicely yourself.”

He smiles. “I’m sorry. I interrupted you.”

“It’s fine. I don’t want to bitch during our date. Which so far, I’m enjoying.”

“We’re just driving though DC.”

“But you know I like that. Just driving around with you. So, let’s put that in the win column.”

“Then that means any time we go on a date I will have at least one thing in the win column.”

“Precisely.”

He pulls into a line of cars and they wait for their turn at the valet. She looks up at the building through the passenger window. “This guy must be a big deal if he’s performing at Constitution Hall.”

“Or he has a really good manager.”

“True.” She watches people walking up the stairs and starts to feel a little underdressed. No one is showing as much skin as she is, even if it is just her back, and everyone is wearing some sort of jacket. The way the trees move tell her that it is also fairly windy. She could curse Penelope for hiding her jacket. She could have even worn her fed coat and it would have done both jobs, keeping her warm and dressing it up a little. She rubs her arms and shivers at the idea of being out there for even just a few minutes.

“Cold?”

She looks over at him and smiles softly. “Not yet, but I bet I will be.”

He hums and moves the car forward in line. He puts it in park and unbuckles his seat belt. He turns in his seat to look into the backseat. He hums again. “I thought I had a sweater in here.”

“It’s fine, Spence. We’ll just hurry inside.”

“I would give you my suit jacket, but I’m not sure how well it would fit.”

“It’s ok. I should have fought more for arm coverage.”

He pulls up and a valet opens her door as another goes around to his side. Goose bumps cover her arms as the cold wind blows across her skin. He trades his keys for a ticket and then he joins her on the sidewalk. He laces his fingers with hers and they walk with purpose up the stairs. To distract her form the cold, he rattles off some of the building’s history. She attempts to control her hair from flying into her face by the wind but ultimately fails. She hugs his arm in attempt to get a little warmer. He produces their tickets as they enter the building and she is beyond grateful to be inside.

He leads them to a small bar in the lobby and orders white wine for the both of them. As he waits, he removes his jacket. She is busy looking at the architecture and doesn’t notice until he drops it onto her shoulders. She instantly wraps it around her. She is surprised that it almost fits. She isn’t sure that she could get her arms through the sleeves though. They smile at each other and he turns back to the bar to get their drinks. She takes this moment to find out, removing the jacket from her shoulders, she puts it on properly. It’s snug, but as long as she doesn’t make any strong movements, it should be fine.

He smiles softly as he hands her the drink. “It fits.”

“Sort of.”

“Well, at least you’ll be warmer now.”

“For which, I thank you.”

He holds up his glass to her. “Here’s to 21 days.”

She smiles brightly and raises her own glass. “And hopefully countless more to go.”

He smiles fully and they clink their glasses together. They each take a swig as the lights in the lobby dim and then brighten. “We should get to our seats.” She nods and he offers his arm. She chuckles at the formal gesture but hooks her arm through his. He leads them through the orchestra seating to the fifth row and gestures for her to go ahead of him to sit in the two seats in the center of the row. People stand to let them pass. They sit and lace their fingers together after she gets her clutch settled in her lap.

The lights go out and a single large cone of light comes up on the black grand piano that has been sitting center stage. A man walks out in black slacks and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She instantly feels a little better about her attire since the performer looks so relaxed. Once the music starts, she is reminded why she isn’t a fan of classical music. The singularity of the instrument, despite it the songs being beautifully composed, is a little boring. But when she glances over at him, the lights from the stage shine in his eyes as they are glued to the pianist. His leg bounces to the beat of whatever song is playing. He is clearly familiar with what is being played. She spends the rest of the concert watching him while also trying not to be obvious about it.

Then something surprising happens. Yiruma starts singing in Korean. Her eyes are torn from Spencer back to the stage. The song had already done something to Spencer’s facial expressions that made it that much more gorgeous, but when the pianist who hadn’t sang a word all night suddenly started singing in a language she didn’t understand, she couldn’t watch the man beside her anymore. Her brain works in overdrive to try to figure out what the words mean, what the song means. But she doesn’t know Korean. Then his lips are at her ear, whispering the translation, after the first chorus.

“I want to throw my heart to you. So, I can feel you always. If you can hold on to it just a bit longer, then try to put all your heart into it.”

She squeezes his hands, having long set their empty glasses on the floor. She’s never been so turned on by classical music. She wants to kiss him so badly it hurts, but they are very much in public. If they had had seats in the back row, then maybe. But fifth row center is not the place. When the song ends, the applause erupts and breaks the spell Spencer and Yiruma had on her. They separate in order to applaud the performance and stand with everyone else.

The lights rise after he leaves the stage and Spencer bends to pick up the glasses, her purse, and the programs from where they have fallen out of her lap. She takes the purse and programs out of his hand and replaces it with her own. She follows behind him, quietly trying to compose herself, as he returns the glasses to the bar. He says something and she misses it. He gives her hand a squeeze and she looks up at him. He smiles softly.

“Lost in thought?”

“Yeah. I’m… processing.”

He nods. “I’ll take that as I good sign?”

“Very.”

“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed it and look forward to discussing it over dinner.”

“I get the feeling you asked me something?”

He nods. “Would you like to wait inside while I go get the car? It has no doubt gotten colder.”

She smirks and shakes her head. “Trying to get rid of me, Dr. Reid?”

He licks his lips and then smiles. “Never.”

“Good.” She wraps her arms around the one holding her hand. “Lead the way.”

They walk together outside and the wind immediately blows her hair into her eyes. Which in turn makes her lose her footing on the stone stairs and she lurches forward. His arms wrap around her with lightning fast speed, catching her. She struggles to get the hair out of her face so she can see her rescuer. His arms are stronger than she thought. Despite his claims of not being very strong or athletic, he has succeeded in preventing a potentially painful and embarrassing tumble.

“My hero.”

He blushes and helps her find her footing again before relaxing a little. “I’m as surprised as you are.”

“Hmm. There’s hope for you yet.”

“I wouldn’t put that much stock into it. It was mostly adrenaline.”

She tucks her hair behind her ears before cupping his face. Right there, on the steps of Constitution Hall, surrounded by strangers, she kisses him. It is their most public display to date. One that she can feel he is hesitant to reciprocate. She feels that hesitation and is about to withdrawal, when his arms tighten around her once more. Holding her to him. She loses herself in that kiss, something they had agreed not to do, completely forgetting about the wind and the cold and the throng of people having to go around them as they stand locked together in the middle of these steps.

Someone loudly clears their throat and it brings them back to the present. They laugh as they separate, seamlessly taking one another’s hand and joining the line for the valet. He gently elbows her to get her attention. “Should we discuss your experience now or over dinner?”

“I’m not sure what to say exactly.”

“You enjoyed yourself I hope?”

“Honestly?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Not really. At least at first.”

“Oh.” His shoulders droop at little at the statement.

“Hey now. I’m not finished. I said at first.”

“But you came to a different conclusion?” He hands his ticket to the waiting valet.

“I did. See, at first, I was bored. Watching one dude playing the piano is not the most entertaining thing. I enjoyed the music but watching a live performance with not much to it doesn’t help much. It wasn’t until I looked over at you to see if you were enjoying yourself did I start to feel the same.”

“You were… watching me? The whole time?”

She nods and shows a little annoyance at the hair that has come free from behind her ear. “To watch you… absorb the music, the atmosphere… to see you completely and unabashedly in the moment was… stunning.”

He blushes and runs his finger along the inside of his collar. “Stunning?”

She smiles softly. “Stunning.”

His blush deepens as his car arrives. He opens the door for her and waits for her to be fully seated before tipping the valet and sliding into his own seat. After they are both buckled, he pulls away. She thumbs through the program they received, clearly looking for something. “What are you looking for?”

“The name of the last song.”

“I figured that be obvious based on the lyrics.”

“Musicians can be weird.”

“It’s called ‘River Flows in You’. Any particular reason you want to know?”

“It was my favorite.”

He smiles. “Glad to know you came away with a favorite.”

“It wasn’t just the song though. I feel like if it had been instrumental like the others, it might have escaped my notice. But then he started singing and it totally changed the mood of the whole thing. And then you…” She shifts in her seat and nibbles on her bottom lip. “You uh… translated and it sort of… cemented the song in my mind. I can almost still hear it.”

“Adding it to your collection?”

She shakes her head. “Not exactly.”

“Oh?”

“I uh… I am thinking about doing something I’ve never done before.”

“Which is?”

She scoffs as she fishes her phone out her purse. “Custom ringtone.”

“Really? You liked it that much?”

“A custom ringtone… for you. Just you.”

“Me?”

She shrugs with one shoulder and begins searching for a ringtone app. “This might be a discussion we need to have together, but the song spoke to me and I think that every time I hear it, I will think of you. I believe this so strongly in fact that… if we were to have a song… I’d want it to be this one.”

“Actually, I like the idea of that. Though I would want it to be the original. Meaning without words.”

“I can agree to that.”

He smiles over at her as he stops at a red light. “So, we have a song now?”

“I guess we do.”

“Would that also imply something else?”

“Well, we are dating so…”

He licks his lips and drums on the stirring wheel. He glances over at her as he processes how he wants to say this. She is still smiling at him. That small curl to her lips when she is contented. Happy in the moment. He can see that she knows what’s coming, that she is simply waiting to be asked. It all seems so formal. To ask. Yet despite the formality, it firmly establishes something that he has either inferred on his own or simply was without the discussion happening given the nature of the relationship. Having this formality, this title, asking that question, would make him feel vastly more secure about the whole thing. Not that he didn’t feel secure in it now, just that… socially there is a difference between dating and adding that title. Derek had to explain it to him once upon a time. He nods and licks his lips. “Dani?”

“Spencer?”

“Would you… like to make this official?”

She laughs. “That sounds like more than what you’re asking.”

“I mean… will you be my girlfriend?”

She smiles and reaches over to run her fingers through his hair. “Funny. I thought I already was… you know save for the title.”

“We never discussed that.”

“Didn’t need to. I know what it feels like to be in a committed relationship with someone. That, my dear, is what we’re in. Whether you knew it or not.”

“So… how long have I been your boyfriend in all but name, exactly?”

She smirks. “Oh… I’d say 19 days ago.”

He laughs. “So, when we agreed that we were dating, you took that to mean…”

“Yes and no.” He motions for her to continue. “It wasn’t the decision that we were dating. It was when I decided to loan you those books.”

“How so?”

“They were Bobby’s and the first ones I saved from the fire.”

He nods and the weight of her teaching him Japanese settles into his chest. He focuses on where he’s going, trying to shrug off that weight. She returns her attention to her phone. Searching for a good sample of the song to make a ringtone. He has belongings that he holds very dear. Belongings that he will occasionally remove from his bag if he is at all worried they will get lost or damaged. Some of the post it notes she has left him are among them. He can’t even imagine letting someone else have them, much less touch them. These books… most of her collection in fact… are all those type of objects to her. Yet she trusted him enough to not only read those books but let him take them home with him. His journals are clearly the most precious as they are written in his hand, but he feels truly honored that she trusts him like that. True, they are only objects, but sentiment isn’t something that can’t be replaced.

“There. Now this way, I won’t have to even look at my phone to know it’s you calling.”

“Well, that is the purpose of a custom ringtone.”

“Usually, I hate them. But for you, I’ll make an exception.” He smiles and offers his hand for a quick squeeze before he has to return to the gear shift. “So, boyfriend, where are we going?”

He practically beams while watching the road. “Dinner.”

“Yes, but where? Because it looks like we’re headed to The Capitol Building.”

“Past it, actually. It’s a nice place with great reviews. I figured if we’re going all out…”

“How far from the Capitol is it?”

“On our current course, one mile.”

“So, what you mean by going all out is spending a lot of money.”

“Don’t worry about that. I have done my research and it won’t break the bank.”

He drives through what looks like a residential neighborhood, but once he makes the block, she sees the unmistakable lights of an outdoor eating area. He drives past a perfectly good spot right in front of it. “Was that our destination?”

“Yeah. I’m just looking for a better place to park.”

She points behind them. “That spot was right up front.”

“I… I’m not sure I’d be able to park there.”

“Not good at parallel parking?” He shakes his head. She smirks. “Find a place to stop and we can switch.”

He pulls into a spot a little way away that only requires him to back up. “I think I got it.”

She smiles. “Guess I’m keeping this then.”

“I wasn’t asking for it.”

“I know. But judging by the look of the people at the place, you’re going to need it.”

“I scoped it out. It’s not that fancy. A mixed crowd.”

“If you say so.”

“Trust me. I always do my research.” He looks over his shoulder to see if any cars are coming. He quickly gets out and moves around the car to open her door for her. She leaves the programs in the seat. She takes his hand and they walk together to a place called Bistro Cacao, which boasts that is it “where romance meets flavor,” and clearly states that it is French Cuisine. She never understood fancy French food. Snails. Small portions with hefty price tag. Though maybe she doesn’t get it because she’s never had it. Well, she’s about to. He leads her up a small set of stairs and through the door.

They are greeted at a small podium. “I have a reservation for 2 under Dr. Spencer Reid.”

She tries not to laugh. Of course, he made the reservation using his prefix. They follow the host up a set of stairs and into a very red room. The tables at the sides of the room are separated with red curtains, the chairs are more of something you might see in a lounge. There are candles, a lamp, and a single red rose on each table. Which reminds her to check the flower he gave her. By some miracle, it is still in her hair. They are shown to one the side tables that is both open and secluded at the same time. She removes his jacket as the warm atmosphere is starting to make her sweat. She offers it to him. He takes it and gestures to the table, letting her choose which she wants to sit in. She elects the one that is facing most of the room, leaving only one table and a window behind her. He folds his jacket neatly and drapes it over the arm of his chair before sitting. Without even looking at the menu that is set in front of them, he orders water and a bottle of wine.

She smirks. “You remember the last time we shared a bottle of wine, right?”

“I do. But it will pair nicely with the items I’m thinking of ordering.”

“Oh?”

“Speaking of that actually, do you… mind if I order for you?”

“How so?”

“I have a pretty good idea after 21 days of your tastes food wise. I also know, based on your comments in the car, that you will base your choice on menu price so…” He reaches across the table and snags her menu. “I would like to order for us.”

She leans forward on her elbows. “I’ve never had French food.”

“Nervous to be losing a little control, SSA Winchester?”

She laughs. “Oh! So, we’re resorting to rank now? Need I remind you, Dr. Reid, that we are the same rank now?”

“Not to get to technical, but I still out rank you since you are a junior agent at the BAU.”

“For now.”

He smiles and offers her his hand. She takes it and watches his thumb caress her knuckles. “I will make you a deal. You let me order, you at least try everything that is ordered, and in exchange you can bake me any pie you want and I will eat it.”

She laughs. “You act as if eating pie would be torture.”

“And by comparison, you act as if my end is torture.”

“Because it is.” She shakes her head and gives his hand a squeeze. “Fine. You have a deal.”

“Excellent.” The server comes over and Spencer smiles at Dani. He offers up the menus and the server takes them. “We would like two Cacao Salads, an order of Escargots au Beurre d'Ail,” He sees her make a face. Most people can recognize the word escargots and she clearly doesn’t like the idea of eating snails, “On second thought, make that Seared Sea Scallops. Then I will have Carré d'Agneau aux Herbes and Filet Mignon Grillé, Sauce au Poivre medium rare for the lady.” He winks at her and she hides her laugh by taking a sip of water. “And finish with the Trio Crème Brûlée.”

The server smiles, repeats the order, and leaves once it is confirmed.

Dani smirks, “You’re so hot when you’re speaking another language.”

He takes a sip of water. “I was just ordering food and most of that was English.”

“Statement stands.”

“Thank you.”

“I take it you know your way around French cuisine?”

“Some. I’ve actually always wanted to go to Paris. I uh… wanted to take my mom.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Ok. I guess. Her doctors are… should we really be talking about this on our date?”

She rubs her hand against his. “We can. I know you like to keep those cards close to the vest. I just… I’m here.”

“The only thing I will say before calling bukkumāku is that her doctors are looking into changing her meds.”

She nods. “Keep me updated. You need someone in your corner. A support system is vital.”

“I will. And thank you for saying that. And that goes both ways.”

The scallops arrive and their conversation drifts to other more lighthearted topics. She keeps her promise and tries everything placed in front of her, she is beyond grateful he moved away from the snails because she saw them delivered to someone else and they made her stomach do flips just looking at them. The conversation is effortless. They talk music, travel, food, and naturally random bits of trivia pop up when inspired by some related topic. The talk of travel actually gives her a different type on inspiration. His birthday is 11 days away. It’s not a lot of time to plan, but she hopes that he is willing to be spontaneous.

Dinner ends and she is happy to be both full and pleased with her meal. He was right, he does know her tastes. He hands his card to the server without looking at the bill. She chuckles knowing that he has probably done all the math needed during his planning of their date. The server returns, he signs the copy and then pulls out his wallet. He tips with cash. Seeing the $40 tip, she can only imagine what the bill was. She could figure it out if she wanted, she would be missing a few variables, but she could do it. But she won’t. If he is comfortable spending the kind of money that elicits at $40 tip, who is she to argue.

He offers his jacket once they stand from the table. She gratefully accepts and she hears a few aws from a couple of nearby people. They lace their fingers together and make their way back to his car. When they arrive, he once again opens and closes the door for her. They are blissfully quiet as he drives back to her apartment.

As they near her street, he glances over at her. “Is this where we call it? Or would you like a night cap?”

“Well, seeing as once again, I have consumed the most wine, I’m thinking a night cap might be bad.”

“I had to drive.”

“Yes, but you didn’t have to buy the whole bottle, because once you stopped it fell to me to finish it.”

He laughs. “You didn’t have to.”

“Yes, I did. I bet that shit was expensive and I will not have you throwing money away on my account.”

“If it’s on you, I don’t see it as throwing it away.”

“No, I mean literally. If I didn’t finish that bottle, it would have gotten trashed because it was used and paid for.”

“Touché.”

He pulls into a parking spot and takes his seat belt off. “Am I walking you up?”

“You’d better be.” He once again rushes to open her door. They go hand in hand up to her apartment. She unlocks the door, disarms the alarm, and drops her purse on the table near the door. He leans against the door frame watching her. She removes his jacket and offers it to him. He folds it over his arm and smiles. She moves toward him and wraps her arms around his waist. He wraps his arm around her back, the fingers of his free hand softly caressing the bare skin. She sighs and tilts her face up. He licks his lips and kisses her. “I had a great time tonight.”

“So did I.”

“I get to plan the next one.”

“Looking forward to it.”

He kisses her again and she press up on her toes to get a better connection. He drops his jacket on the floor behind her and presses his hands into her back. She clings to the back of his vest, grabbing it with both hands. She can feel the red wine in her system urging her to push it further. She had warned him on their very first date what red wine did to her. However, his body language is telling a very different story to that first day. Where he was skittish and awkward, he is now bold and confident. He kisses her like he’s been doing it his whole life and she wants more. So much more. Her fists tighten around fabric. Despite the red wine clouded haze around her brain and body, she maintains that control. The resistance to give in to his physical touch. His hands on her skin.

She moans and steps back to stop the kiss. He steps to move with her. She whispers his name and his eyes open. “Yes?”

“I… I am drunk.”

“Yes and?”

“I…” She takes a deep breath. That look is back. The one he had while watching the performance, except there is an added heat in his eyes. His brown eyes are dilated and his lashes flutter as his focus shifts between her eyes and her lips. “We…” She has to close her eyes. His first time, their first time, should not involve alcohol. She won’t be able to treat him the way he deserves to be treated, the way he will need to be treated given his past, if she has no inhibitions.

“I know.”

“You know?”

“I’ve seen that look before.” Her hands flex at his back. “And I’ve felt that grip before too.” He licks his lips and slides one hand up her back to rest on the back of her head. The curls of her now shortened hair curling around his fingers like an octopus’s tentacles. “You want me.”

“More than anything.” He sighs and his warm breath washes over her face. She takes another slow deep breathe. She has to control herself, fight the alcohol, be smart. “But we… I… shouldn’t.”

He nods. “The alcohol?”

She nods. “I’m sure you’ve… got some idea of how it should go. But so do I… And I…”

He kisses her softly. “You don’t need to explain.”

“Don’t I?”

“You don’t want to scare me.”

“Bingo.”

“And… I’m not ready to take that step. To… have sex with you. Because even though I’m feeling confident right this second, the moment clothes start coming off…”

“I know.”

He loosens his grip on her which in turn allows her grip to relax. “Look. The simple truth right now is that I am not ready to go home. I don’t want to leave. I don’t want tonight to end.”

“Then let’s have that night cap. Except we’ll just make it coffee.”

“Ok. But actually… uh…”

“Yes?”

He slides his hands down her back and brings them to rest on her hips. “I don’t want to go home… at all.”

“You want to stay?”

“It makes sense in a way. We’ve got Doctor Who with Penelope tomorrow.”

“You’re welcome to stay, but what…”

“My go bag is in my trunk.”

She laughs and moves her hands to his face. “Then go get it.” She kisses him and once she’s done, he backs out the still open front door.

He smiles brightly, “I’ll be right back.”

He turns and hurries to the elevator. She picks up his discarded suit jacket and leans out the door. “And I’ll be right here. Waiting.”


	12. Birthday Surprise

Criminal Minds Season 11 Episode 15 The Night Watch happens during this chapter.

Her plans are shaping up well for his birthday surprise and she really hopes he goes along with it or she will be out a lot of money. She also hopes the bad guys take the time they would require off so he doesn’t have to go jet setting somewhere else. She has already submitted the request for personal time off, doing it in an official manner instead of just hacking it into the system as she would when her many hunting trips made her suddenly miss work. Her bag is packed and everything she needs is either already in her car or ready to go.

They’ve been pretty busy work wise, so seeing each other regularly has been difficult. Which sucks, but they talk every night, job permitting. And as much as it sucks, it has allowed her ample time to plan and prepare. She has looped Penelope into the planning. Her primary job is to keep her apprised of their case load and travel. They are in Detroit right now and the way things are shaping up they won’t make it back on his birthday. Which is fine. She planned for that possibility. She has one day of wiggle room before she starts to really lose money.

Having the day off to finalize everything and knowing he will be busy, and likely not sleeping given there’s a missing baby involved, she opts to call him right at midnight. When he answers, she knows he didn’t even look at his phone.

“Dr. Spencer Reid.”

He sounds exhausted and slightly annoyed at being disturbed. “I don’t want to distract you.”

He chuckles and she can instantly hear his voice relax some. “Consider me distracted.”

“I know it’s late.”

“I’m not sleeping anytime soon. What’s up?”

“Well, I’m not sure you’ve even noticed what time it is.”

“I haven’t.” She hears him shift the phone to other ear and assumes he is checking his watch. “12:01 am.”

“Happy Birthday.”

She hears him sigh. “Thank you.”

“Don’t sound too excited.”

“I had forgotten about it.”

“You? Forget?”

He laughs. “Ok. Forget is the wrong word. My mind has been occupied elsewhere.”

“Another tough one?”

“They all are. But yes. The stakes are high and I’m tasked with trying to nail down where Morpheus trained.”

“Morpheus?”

“A famous street artist who is being framed here by a rival artist.”

“I know artists are passionate about their work, but damn.”

“Yeah. I have about 20 art books in front of me.”

“Despite the murders and kidnapping, sounds like you’re in heaven.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, despite all the doom and gloom.”

“I won’t keep you. I just get the feeling that no one is going to remember and I wanted at least one person to.”

“I’m glad that one person is you. Thank you.”

“Aw that’s basic girlfriend 101. Don’t forget your boyfriend’s birthday and be sure the day doesn’t pass without telling him ‘Happy Birthday’ at least once.”

She hears the chair squeak as if he is leaning back. “I like hearing you call me your boyfriend.”

“Good. Now. I’ve distracted you enough for one night. Get back to catching a killer and saving a baby.”

“Actually, I’m trying to ID Morpheus. He might be being framed, but that doesn’t mean he’s not involved.”

“He could be a target.”

“Exactly.”

“Get back to it. And again, happy birthday!”

“Thank you. Good night.”

“Night, Spence.”

“We’re going to have to do something when I get back. It’s been 9 days since I’ve seen you.”

She smirks. “And 9 days since I’ve kissed you.”

She can hear the bright smile in his voice. “That too.”

“I will see you when you get back. Promise.”

“I am going to hold you to that.”

“Good night.”

“Night.” He hangs up and she smiles at her screen. He has no idea what’s in store for him once that plane lands.

***

They are all dead tired when they get back to the office. The nap on the plane was not enough to keep his eyes open. He gets elbowed on the elevator down to the lobby. “Hey. You need a lift?”

He looks over to the equally groggy Derek Morgan. “I didn’t drive here, so that would be appreciated.”

“Come on, kid. The sooner we get home the sooner we can sleep.”

“That’s the plan. After I c… take a shower.”

“I’m with ya there. This was a long one.”

“At least we saved the baby?”

“Yeah.”

Spencer and Derek ride in near silence as he drives. The music pumping from the radio is likely the only thing keeping them both awake. His mind wanders to her. Is she still up? It’s still technically his birthday if only by an hour or so. It would be nice to see her even for just a little bit so that he could receive her happy birthday in person. She was right when she called. The case prevented anyone else from remembering. It’s not the first time and he’s not even the slightest bit upset about it. The most important person in his life right now remembered and that was enough to make him feel special.

The hardest part about the past two days is that there were special occasions on both. Their one month and his birthday. He likes dates. He likes to mark the passage of time with meaningful things. His mind is cluttered with dates, some important to history, some important to those around him, some directly related to his chosen career. But the dates that really stand out, the truly personal ones, are clouded with negativity. Such as death, illness, or loss. It feels dramatic to describe those memories, those dates, as a culmination of having a troubled life. He’s had his downs. Who hasn’t? Therefore, when dates crop up that make him happy, his birthday, Halloween, a relationship milestone, he wants to cling to them. To mark their passing in a way that honors their meaning to him. Even if it is just a kiss before the date changes.

“Hey. You awake over there?”

Spencer looks over at Derek. “Yeah.”

He motions ahead of them. “Why is Dani’s car outside your building?”

“What?”

“That’s her car, right? I’m not seeing things.”

“No. That’s definitely her car.”

Derek looks over at him with a huge smile on his face. “You’ve been holding out on me, playboy”

“Not holding out… exactly. Just not talking about my personal life at work.”

“My man.”

As they get closer, they see a blond woman is leaning against the car. “Hang on. That’s Dani’s car, but who’s that chick?”

Spencer shrugs. “I highly doubt Dani would allow…” His sleep deprived mind has finally caught up with the picture in front of him. That isn’t just any blond woman. That is Rose Tyler. The Doctor’s companion. Wearing black leggings, a frayed denim skirt, and a dark denim jacket over a pink zip up hoodie. “You can let me out here.”

“We ain’t even at your place yet.”

“This is close enough.” Derek looks at him with a look of utter confusion as he pulls his truck over half a block from his apartment. Spencer hops out, grabbing his go bag out of the floor as he slides out. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Reid!” Spencer closes the door and starts walking. He is acutely aware that he hasn’t left yet. That he is just watching him power walk down the sidewalk. He turns to walk backwards a few steps and waves. Derek shakes his head and pulls away. There will be questions later, but it is clear he is too tired to argue over it now. He continues walking as he watches the truck’s taillights disappear. Once they have, he turns his attention to Rose. He smiles as he nears her, his sleep deprived mind finally making since of the scene in front of him.

Dani smiles as he picks up speed. Flashing her that huge smile he seems to reserve just for her. She clears her throat and attempts a British accent. “Ello! Welcome home, birthday boy!”

He snorts with laughter as he reaches her, dropping his bag, taking her face in his hands, and kissing her. He laughs again. “That accent was terrible.”

She shrugs. “Eh. I tried.”

“So, Ms. Tyler, care to explain? I seem to recall that my girlfriend hates Halloween, which is also three days from now.”

She grabs his wrist to check his watch. “Good this can still be considered a birthday gift.”

He shakes his head and laughs. “Seeing you would have been enough. Unless you’re telling me you’re going to dress up as Rose for Halloween too?”

“Yes, but that hinges on the answer to my question.”

“Which is?”

She steps back from him and turns to open her trunk. She pulls out a garment bag and faces him. She smirks and pulls a sonic screwdriver from her pocket. “Well…” She tosses the screwdriver towards him and he catches it. “Since you’ve got a brand-new sonic screwdriver that needs road-testing, I thought you might fancy a trip.”

He laughs. “Paraphrasing the speech 10 gave to Martha before she joined him dressed as Rose doesn’t really work.”

“Well, Roxy isn’t exactly the T.A.R.D.I.S. And you would look silly dressed as Rose. This would look far better on you.” She unzips the garment bag and opens it just enough to see the brown coat with blue lining inside it. He steps forward to touch the sleeve.

“That’s really good quality.”

“It’s an official replica. Got a new pair of red chucks in the trunk.”

“That’s… expensive.”

“Don’t worry about that. So?”

“So?”

“Do you want to go on a trip with me?”

“We… have work.”

“I’m off till Monday and when’s the last time you took personal days?”

He shakes his head trying to clear the exhaustion induced fog. She wants to go on a trip, that involves dressing as The Doctor and Rose on Halloween. A holiday she has admitted to hating. She has purchased replicas of the coat and sonic screwdriver, things that he knows the cost of since he has investigated purchasing them on his own. By the look of the other items in her trunk, she is ready to go now.

She smiles. She planned for this. His hesitation. Though she can’t tell if it is real hesitation or if he is just a little slow to respond given how tired he looks. She zips the bag and lays it in the trunk. She lets him think, looking at the sonic screwdriver in his hands. She moves around the car and opens the passenger door. The movement draws his attention. She stands, silhouetted slightly by the light spilling out from the dome light, and extends her hand towards him. Evoking the image of The Doctor offering his hand to save Caecilius and his family during the “Fires of Pompei” episode, which she hasn’t even seen yet.

His mind is full of questions. Where are they going? How long will they be gone? How many personal days will he be taking? Time seems slowed. Her smirking lips, her extended hand. His heart races. Derek is already going to have questions. And if he takes personal time off, the others will have questions too. And what if they get a case?

But… to hell with everyone else. She wants to take him on a trip. She has already spent money on this trip. There are tons of questions to ask regarding said trip, but the clothes in his go bag are clean since he didn’t use them. He would love a shower and to change his clothes. But his hand itches to take hers. So, he smiles, grabs his bag off the ground, drops it in her trunk, and rushes forward to take her hand. She gives his hand a squeeze and a kiss before motioning for him to sit. He slides in and she closes the door. She moves around the back of the car, taking off the wig, scarf, denim jacket, and pink hoodie, placing them in the trunk, and closing it.

She hurries to get into the car. She hooks up her phone to the radio before starting the car. He bursts out laughing as the T.A.R.D.I.S. sound plays. “Couldn’t resist.”

“It’s a nice touch.”

She pulls the ponytail from the her and shakes her head. He tucks her hair behind her ear so that it doesn’t block her face. She turns up the heat, cues up some music, and starts driving. He scoots to the center, in his usual spot, and buckles. He runs his hand up her forearm, lacing his fingers with hers. He kisses her cheek and rests his head on her shoulder. Minutes later he starts dozing, his head nearly falling off her shoulder. He sits up with a jolt, rubbing his eyes.

“Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I know none of you got any sleep on this case. Not even Penelope.”

“She told you?”

“She was keeping me updated so that my timing could be perfect.”

He yawns. “It was.”

“Go to sleep, Spence.”

“I don’t want to miss anything. I don’t even know where we’re going.”

“It’s dark. You won’t see much while I’m driving anyway. And you will know when we get there.”

“But…”

She pulls her hand from his and touches the side of his face, she glances over at him and can see that his will to argue is fading quickly. “You have a few sleeping options. Back seat, where you can spread out a little. Passenger seat, where you will be more supported by a seat belt, but could end up with a crick in your neck. Or…” She pats her thigh. “Use my leg as a pillow and I will obey every traffic law to make you feel safe while only using that lap belt.”

“I won’t get in the way?”

“Wouldn’t have offered if I thought you would.”

He smiles softly and kisses her cheek. He slides over slightly and takes off his shoes. He looks down at his work attire. He starts removing pieces. Jacket, vest, tie. He tosses them into the backseat, which she finds very entertaining as his frustration at trying to remove these items in a car are only prolonging the time before he can sufficiently nap. He rolls up the sleeves of the shirt, unbuttons the top few buttons, then unbuckles. She raises an eyebrow and he shrugs. When he lays on his back, she understands why the seatbelt got in the way. One leg hangs in the floor, the other is in the seat, his knee in the air, his foot crammed across the door. He folds his hands over his stomach. His head is fully in her lap. Once he is comfortable, she runs her fingers through his hair repeatedly. Almost absentmindedly. He is out in seconds.

Even if he is passed out, just being in his presence is enough to make her happy. She missed him in his absence, she’s certain of that. She just didn’t realize just how much until she had seen him jump out of Morgan’s truck. She has missed people before, having not seen them for some time for some reason or another. But there have only been a few times where it has felt like this. Like part of her was missing until they were together again. It usually had to do with being apart from the person she loved at the time. The thought brings her up short and stills her hand in his hair. Did she just compare this empty feeling to missing a man she loved? Does that mean…? 

She shakes her head. She does her best to focus on the road. Using her mental map to navigate. She tries to listen to the soft music. Anything to take her mind off those thoughts. Then he stirs and rolls onto his side. Wrapping his arms around her leg and curling up into a ball beside her. She has to shift his arm a bit so that he doesn’t prevent her from being able to press the peddles properly. Then she returns to absentmindedly combing her fingers through his hair. Which slingshots her back.

Does she love him? After such a short time, it doesn’t seem like she should be able to make that call. It took six months from meeting her first love before she had these thoughts the first time. Then seven more months to actually say the words. She never told her other boyfriend, though she wishes she had. Now, with Spencer, it has been one month and she is already tossing the “L” word around in her head.

This is not a conversation she will ever have out loud. Especially not this soon. She has learned the hard way what love gets you. She has done things in the name of love that might make even those close to her uneasy. It is part of that Winchester flaw, doing absolutely anything to protect those they love. Self-sacrificing out of love. Morals and soul be damned in some cases. Yet she knows for a fact that her brothers wouldn’t cross lines that she has. Unless they were soulless. When Winchesters love, they love hard. Which is why her feelings for Spencer scare her so much. She glances down at his sleeping face and knows she isn’t wrong. She loves him. God help anyone or anything that tries to hurt him. Hell hath no fury like a dumbass who trifles with a Winchester.

***

His head lulls in her lap as she drives through a darkened tunnel. It is nearly 4:30 am now, but their destination isn’t far. She wants to wake him at the perfect moment. The moment that will give the most impact to where they are. She smirks and takes a slight detour. She heads uptown before making her way south on 7th Ave. There are still quite a few people on the streets, but traffic isn’t as bad as it could be. Her car is definitely getting some looks from people as they cross the street. The bright lights ahead her are like a beacon. This is it. She can either wake him now or wait for the lights to do it. She opts for kindness. She reaches down and gives him a soft shake. “Spencer.”

“Hmm.”

“We’re here.”

“Here?”

She can’t resist the urge. She ruffles his hair in an effort to wake him and his eye open slowly. She smiles softly and he sleepily smiles back. Then he squints as the lights blind him. He sits up and looks around now. And then looks at her as they stop at a light. She is leaning forward looking up at the blinding billboards. “New York? This is where you wanted to go?”

“I’ve never been.”

“Really?”

“At least not as an adult.”

“Well, you’re here now. And driving no less.”

“Is that bad?”

He laughs. “And they say I live under a rock. Manhattan is known to be hell to drive in.”

“Huh. I don’t see it. I happen to like that there aren’t any posted speed limits.” He shakes his head and she is happy to see that he’s smiling. That he caught her joke. “Our hotel isn’t far. And I don’t know about you, but I could use some food and sleep.”

“Not a lot open right now.”

“We could drop off our stuff and walk around.” She points to a stand on the corner. “Maybe find a hot dog stand that’s… what’s the wrinkled looked for?”

“Street food?”

“They get health inspected like everyone else. Doesn’t that mean it’s clean if it’s open?”

“That they passed a health inspection. But the sign isn’t displayed. They could easily be lying.” She looks behind her and quickly makes her way across traffic. “What are you doing?”

She rolls down her window after parallel parking. “Hey, buddy!”

“Dani, don’t.” Spencer sinks down in his seat as she continues.

The vender looks over at her. “I got a question for ya.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“A five.”

“Whatchya wanna know?”

“Do you guys get health inspected?”

“Yeah. We don’t get permits unless we pass.”

“Can I see it?”

“You a cop or something?”

“A fed, actually, but this is unofficial business.” She pulls her wallet out of her pocket and pulls a ten from it. She holds it out the window. He snatches it and turns to unclip a laminated piece of paper from his cart and hands it to her. She then holds it out to Spencer. “See. This guy’s got an A rating. His food is perfectly safe.” She hands him back the paper. “Hey thanks.”

“What’s all this about?”

“Oh, just proving a point. Thanks!”

“You want something?”

“Nah. Thanks though.”

He waves the ten at her. “No, thank you.” She checks the traffic and speeds off. “So, no street meat for Dr. Reid?”

He sighs. He gets the idea that this trip is supposed to be about spending time with her, about living in the moment, but he can’t look past this. “I don’t think so. Unless the parameters are just right.”

“Like wearing gloves? Or a posted grade sign?”

“Among other things.”

“Well, I won’t pressure you to eat street food. And we’ll avoid places that don’t have an A rating.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“So, hotel and walking around for a while until we find a snack? Or are you too tired?”

“I’m assuming you have plans for us for tomorrow?”

“Actually, tomorrow slash today is my cushion day. So, we can sleep in. Find some A rated hole in the wall to eat. Maybe go to a museum.” He smiles. “Thought that’d get your attention. Believe it or not, I’ve been looking for an excuse to come to New York for a while. So… I have a list of spare time activities if we have time to kill.”

“A list? Should we go over that list together?”

“Oh… we will. But first…” She pulls into the entrance of a parking garage. She chuckles. “So... we both know I’m a bit neurotic when it comes to my car?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I may have had to pull some strings. Wait here.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Nah. It’s not illegal, just a slight abuse of power. Be right back.” She slides out the car and he watches her walk over the attendant window. She gestures behind her, then talks with her hands a bit. From the body language and gestures, he thinks that she may have called ahead about the car. She then reaches into the back pocket of the skirt and pulls out her creds. And there’s the abuse of power. He chuckles and shakes his head. He can’t say he hasn’t done that a time or two to help someone out, but he can’t really recall ever doing it for personal gain. He can tell the attendant’s attitude changes instantly. It’s more recognition than intimidation. She pulls out her wallet from the other pocket, gives him cash, and receives a slip and a ticket. She nods to him and returns to the car.

“Paid them off to let you park it?”

“Yup.” She sticks the slip over the rear-view mirror that has the parking spot noted on it. “They also know that I’m going to cover it and won’t be coming to get her until we leave. We’re doing the transportation thing right while we’re here.”

“Walking, subways, and taxis?”

“Bingo.” She pulls into the tight spot. He watches her make some mental notes of her gauges.

“Mileage and gas?”

“Yeah. I want to know if they hijacked my baby. They aren’t getting my keys, but you can never be too careful.”

“Smart.”

“I know.” She smiles at him before grabbing her phone and getting out of the car. He grabs his clothes out of the backseat and makes sure his door is locked. She has the trunk open and is unloading the bags when he gets to her. He shoves his discarded clothing into his go bag but puts the jacket on since it is a little chilly. She packs away her costume pieces, grabs her hooded leather jacket, and puts it on. Lastly, she grabs the cover from the trunk before closing it. She double checks all the locks before tucking her baby in for the long weekend. They gather their bags and she leads him to a service elevator that takes them back to the street. She waves to the attendant and they walk a short distance to the hotel next door.

He is still very tried. So, he doesn’t really say much as they stand at the counter. The well-dressed man behind the counter nods to them. “Good Morning. How can I help you?”

“We’re checking in.”

He smiles politely. “I apologize but check in isn’t until 4 pm.”

“Right. Which is why I made arrangements with management.”

“Oh. Well, in that case, may I have your name?”

“Dani Winchester.”

He types and nods. “Yes, of course. Do you have your parking ticket?” She offers it to him. “Thank you. We’ll get this added to your account. Could I have your id and the credit card on file?” Spencer watches her drum on her wallet and creds, clearly trying to decide which card she wants to play. She pulls out her wallet and produces the credit card and her driver’s license. The man hums. “Hmm. It looks like my manager wanted to apply a discount on your room. Do you happen have your badge?”

She chuckles. “Oh. I wasn’t expecting… Sure.” She pulls out her creds and hands them over. Spencer tries not to laugh as the man’s eyes bug out. He hands it back to her and she places it back in her pocket.

“Here are your room keys. You have lounge level access, so if you’d like to stop by our Concierge Lounge for a bite to eat, there are things there. Breakfast is also served there, but it is too early for that. Just use your key cards to get in. Elevators are that way.” He gestures to the right. “Enjoy your stay, Agent Winchester.”

He offers her credit card and license. She takes them. “Thank you very much.”

She walks towards the elevator like she knows exactly where she is going and he simply follows along behind her. They ride the elevator up in silence. Both of their hearts racing. It has finally hit them that they are taking their first trip together as a couple. Though they have shared a bed more than a handful of times now, there is something significant about doing it on a trip.

They step out of the elevator and she looks at the number written on the paper key sleeve. He follows her until she finds the door. She pulls the card from the sleeve and opens the door. She drops the bags in her arms on the single giant bed and goes right for the window. “Oh wow. That’s a perfect view!”

He sets his bag down beside hers and goes to stand next to her. Their corner room has a perfect, but distant view of Times Square. Which would have been completely blocked had they been 10 floors lower. But she’s right. They are near the center of everything. It may not have been his first choice in hotels, but it will do. For now, that bed is calling him like a siren.

He kisses her cheek and turns to put their things away. It is clear by the look on her face that she is not ready to stop taking in the view. He hangs the garment bag in the closet and upon seeing the safe remembers that his gun is in his go bag. He makes locking it up his first priority, along with his creds, because he is not a fed on this trip. For once, he is a tourist.

“Mmm. Good call.”

He looks over after opening the safe and sees her removing a gun from her thigh. “Wait. You’ve been armed this whole time?”

“Spencer. It will be cold day in hell when I’m not armed.”

He shakes his head. “Plan to spend the whole trip armed?”

“I sense disapproval.” He holds out his hand and she places the small pistol in his palm. He puts both weapons in the safe and sets the code.

“What is the purpose of this trip?”

“To spend time together. Without fear of prying eyes. Just being us and honestly together while having a few firsts along the way.” His head snaps towards her and she laughs. “I mean Broadway.”

“Broadway?”

She nods and scoops her bag off the bed. “This is a tale that is best severed after sleep.”

He hums. “Oh, sweet sleep.”

She laughs. She digs a few of the nicer items from her own duffel bag and hangs them. She then fishes her pjs and toiletries from the bag. “Are you wanting to shower?” He nods. “I’ll be quick then.” She disappears into the bathroom and closes the door. Moments later he hears the water in the sink running.

He hangs up a few of his own clothes. He worries that he won’t have appropriate attire if they are going to a show. Is that what she meant by Broadway? He can’t recall ever hearing any showtunes on her playlist, but he knows she has multiple. Maybe those songs are hidden from others. He scoffs and shakes his head. Just another contradiction to add to the pile.

He remembers as he looks out at the lightening sky that he has a phone call to make. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials.

“Hotchner.”

“Hey Hotch. It’s Reid.”

“It’s a little early for a call.”

“I know. And I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“I was up. Is there a problem?”

“Not a problem. I just… need to take a few personal days.”

“Really? Are you feeling ok?”

“I’m good. Really good. I just need a break.”

“Is it your mom?”

“No. She’s… not good exactly, but this isn’t related.”

“Alright. How much time do you need?”

“Two days. I will be back in the office Monday morning. But if we get a case, call me in.”

“I’ll call you if we need you. Enjoy your time off.”

“I will. Thank you.”

He hangs up before any more questions can be asked. It feels dishonest not to tell him the reason. “How’d the call go?”

He turns as she is hoping onto the bed. He smiles. “Fine. He’s concerned but didn’t pry too much.”

“Well, here’s hoping Penelope can keep her trap shut about our trip. She did help me orchestrate it.”

“Really? I had no idea.”

“She’s better at keeping secrets than people give her credit for.” She hooks her finger at him, he comes towards her and takes her hand. “Now. You go shower.”

“Ok. See you shortly.” He goes to the closet, takes his shoes off and places them inside. He retrieves his own pjs and toiletries then disappears into the bathroom.

She waits until she hears the water running before getting off the bed. She gathers her chargers, her laptop, her phones. She sets the laptop up on the desk and opens a few confirmation pages to check for the thousandth time that she has actually purchased her tickets. She unloads the clothes from her duffel into the drawers and places the still heavy bag into the back of one of them. She needs to hide the fact that her bag is not truly empty. She will do her best to refrain from being armed. The metal detectors in a lot of the planed places prevent it. Plus, he didn’t seem to like the idea that she is always armed. Though that could have been the exhaustion talking. She sighs. This is supposed to be a relaxing trip. A normal trip. Filled with tourism and bonding.

She plans to leave her work phone in the room, but she has promised to keep it on. She puts it on the charger next to the laptop. There are only a handful of reasons she might need her personal phone or she would leave it behind too. She shoots of a text to Penelope to let her know they made it and are about to get some sleep before hitting the town.

_Take lots of pictures!_

_I’m not that kind of person, Pen._

_Just a few then? Please!_

_Ugh. Fine. But only because you helped with this. Good night._

_Good night! Have fun!_

She plugs the phone in next to the other devices opting to put the phones on vibrate and not having them next to the bed. She spins in the chair and then goes to the window. She takes one last look at the buzzing city. She smiles and then closes the curtains tight. The room is pitch black which will help with their plan for sleep. She turns on the lamp on his side of the bed, the side closest to the window just like in her bedroom, then pulls the covers down. She scratches her head and looks around the fancy but relatively small room to see if there is anything else she should do before sleeping. Her eye catches the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door and she goes over to it to put it on the outside and then thoroughly latch the door.

As she pads back to the bed, her brain starts picking at the lack of wards. No salt, no sigils, no traps. She rubs her eyes as she sits on the bed. “ _Normal. You are supposed to be having a normal trip._ ” She hums. Maybe a compromise? She glances over at the bathroom. He is still in the shower. She launches off the bed and rips the duffel from the drawer. Something fast, simple, and easy to hide that will work on angels and demons. She uses one of the water glasses on the desk to mix the ingredients and says the words in Enochian she is supposed to. She needs to paint this on a wall. She notices that the tv swivels. Perfect. She turns the tv as far as it will go. She chants the words as she paints with her finger. The sigil glows and vanishes when she’s done. She chuckles as she looks for a place to dump the remaining mixture and clean the glass. _“Definitely need to make sure I get this room the next time I come to New York.”_

She sets the glass down on the desk and fixes the tv. She decides that she needs to hide the glass and just say it was missing. Then she opens a drawer, that isn’t one, to reveal a mini fridge with waters inside. _“Oh perfect.”_ She grabs a water bottle and uses it to clean the cup over the trash can. She dries it with a hand towel she finds and returns it to its place. She hears the water shut off and she double checks that everything is in order, which includes putting the duffel back in its hiding place. She bounds over to the bed, partially empty water bottle in hand.

A few minutes later, he comes out of the bathroom still toweling his hair. “Hey. I thought you might be asleep when I got out.”

“Nope. I was waiting for you.”

“Cool.” She watches him have a brief debate in his head before going back into the bathroom. The hair dryer sounds and she laughs. She places the water bottle on the nightstand and settles further into the bed, though not fully prone, because she is in fact waiting for him. When he comes out of the bathroom again, his hair looks the way it always does, expect maybe a little fluffier. He smiles at her as he moves around the room. She reaches over to pat the big empty spot beside her. He climbs onto the bed and kisses her. “I’m glad we’re doing this.”

“Me too.”

He slides his legs under the covers and turns off the lamp. She notices that the perfect blackness is being slightly disturbed. She sees that a small shaft of light is coming for the bathroom. “You forgot the light.”

He nibbles his lip. “I uh… may have been neglecting to tell you something?”

“Oh?”

“I’m… afraid is not the right word… I just don’t like the dark because it is the inherent absence of light.”

“Oh. I’ve never noticed that before.”

“If you pass out before me, I turn the light on in your bathroom and close the door to let just a sliver in. And… I usually wake up before you so… I make sure to turn the light off before you wake…”

She smirks. “That’s cute.”

“Really? Not childish? Or silly?”

“To some people maybe. But I’m a folklore and mythology nerd, I am fully aware that there are things that go bump in the night.”

He hits her with one of his pillows. “Now, you’re teasing me.”

“I’m not. Really, I’m not.”

“I told you a stupid fear. Now you tell me one, so I’ll feel better about myself.”

“Hmm… let me think…” She lays down and they both settle in to get comfortable. Turning on their sides to face each other. She doesn’t know what to tell him. She can’t be too honest or she’ll risk outing herself. Her mind races to the things that have scared her in the past and then the light bulb goes off. She chuckles. “Flying. It’s the reason I drove here, risking my car to dings and scratches, and… dare I say theft.”

“Did you know that you are statistically more likely to be struck by lightning than die in a plane crash?”

“You said stupid fears and that’s mine.”

He reaches over to brush the hair out of her face. “You’d better get over that one pretty quick if you plan on joining the team.”

“Right, because you guys lead a jet setting lifestyle.”

“Cases aside, sometimes we are asked to go recruit by talking to a class or to do seminars for PDs.”

“Great. Lots of flying then.”

He smiles softly as his eyes being to droop. “Don’t worry. I’ll sit by you. So, if the plane goes down, we’ll at least go down together.”

She snorts and reaches over to ruffle his hair. “Thanks. You’re such a sweetie.”

He yawns. “When are we getting up?”

“It’s a free day. So, whenever our eyes open.”

“Let’s sleep in.”

“Sounds good.”

She watches sleep take him as he is about to say good night. She leans close to him and gives him a soft kiss before returning to her side of the bed. She lets out a dreamy sigh and then makes a sour face at the response to seeing him fall asleep soundly and quickly. It is not a reaction she has had before. At least not that she can recall. She scolds herself before burying her face into a pillow. _“Well, you wanted normal.”_

***

He sits on the bed, watching tail end of _The Price is Right_ with closed captioning and no sound, waiting for her to wake up. He isn’t in a hurry per se, but he is ready to explore the city. That’s what he wants to do if this is a free day. Walk around, ride the subway, grab something new to eat, maybe go to a park and just sit. He forgives her need to sleep in a little since she stayed up late to meet him and she drove all night while he napped. He has only been up an hour himself, which makes this the latest he has slept in ages.

During commercials, he watches her sleep. Which some might find creepy, but he finds when he is in her presence, he is hard pressed to look anywhere else. He continually comes back to the thought that he’s never met anyone like her. She is definitively unique. And in their time together, he can’t think of a single thing that he can find fault in. Not that he is looking, but humans are inherently flawed and no one can like someone 100% of the time. His adopted family find things about him annoying, though they would never say so, yet those things don’t seem to bother her. Those… flaws almost seem like a positive in her eyes. There has only been one other person he can think of who has listened to his rattling with interest.

Is this what would have happened if… he can’t even finish the question. The two women couldn’t be more different. Sure, both are... or were in one case… insanely bright, but they couldn’t be more different in almost every other aspect. At the heart though, they are a lot alike. Intelligence aside, their ability to listen, to care, to support, to be utterly present in the here and now are all similar. Taking in his surroundings, he wonders if she hadn’t been so afraid, if they would have taken a trip like this.

He licks his lips and then mashes them together. He shouldn’t be thinking of Maeve. Not when his girlfriend is sleeping beside him. Much less comparing them. But with so few experiences, what else is he supposed to do? He has been trying to dissect his attraction since that first meeting. He may not have said so as she had, but he had a crush on her the moment she started to tear apart his work during the Sherwood Killer case.

His comparative journey doesn’t stop there, because as more things surface as do more comparative studies. Lila scared him. He was not ready for a woman like her. Celebrity aside, she was clever in her own way, but she was a physical woman. She was his first kiss and the first time any woman found him physically attractive. He credits their careers and his insecurities, that she didn’t know how to cope with, for them not working out. He may call her his first girlfriend, but in truth it never really progressed that far, despite her introducing him as her boyfriend once. Maeve may have been a physical woman, at least she’d had sex before, but he never truly got to experience any of that though he thought he’d be ready when the time came. Their relationship was pure connection on every other level. A connection cut short by a psychopathic stalker.

He chuckles. Both past relationships have involved killer stalkers. He hopes there isn’t anyone in Dani’s past coming to ruin things. Though… if anyone can handle a stalker, it’s Dani.

She stirs slightly in her sleep and her hand stretches out from under the pillow. It settles on the side of his leg before she is fully asleep again. He is learning things about himself with her that he never knew. Or maybe the better term is developing. Primarily that he likes being touched by her and inversely touching her. He has never in his entire life been described as touchy. The whole micro-organisms thing sort of prevents that. Yet she bypassed that entirely. He finds that he craves those casual touches she gives him. An elbow, a poke, a ruffle, a shoulder bump. Her fingers in his hair. Her fingers between his. He chuckles. He seems to be a little fixated on her fingers. He has also never itched to touch someone. Feeling like his skin is going to crawl off and towards her if she isn’t close enough to him. And when this this trip is over, he has a feeling that stopping himself from touching her at least once a day might drive him a little bonkers.

Maybe she represents an amalgamation of all the things he liked about the women in his past? All those traits rolled into one woman with a touch of the things he likes about himself. He’s not one to believe in soul mates, but if he were to have one, she’d be it. He has had this thought before and he sometimes thinks he should tell her how he feels. He has been in love once before, and he never got to say it. He knows, as he watches her sleep in their shared hotel room on a spontaneous (at least on his part) trip, that he loves her.

And he comes back around to her flaws. It bothers him that he can’t find any. Maybe he is blind to them? With this in mind, he can’t bring himself to tell her. If he can’t find faults, then he doesn’t know her as well as he should. Maybe this trip will offer that opportunity. Being with a person 24 hours a day can have that effect. Make that approximately 100 hours straight and he is bound to find out more.

She inhales deeply and sighs as she stretches. She hums when she bumps his leg. “Morning.”

“Afternoon.”

She chuckles as she rolls onto her side. “Are you greeting or correcting me?”

He smiles. “Both.”

She hooks her finger at him and he leans over. He hovers above her as she rubs the sleep from her eyes. She grabs the back of his neck and brings him down to her. She kisses him a few times briefly and before shoving him away. “I’m going to shower and then we can discuss what we want to do.”

“I have a few ideas.”

“Good. So do I.” She tugs on her ear lobe. “So, I’ll try to be quick. You better be dressed before I’m out.”

“Sounds good.”

She hesitates before she opens a drawer and it is the first time he is seeing that she moves into hotel rooms. She hears a noise from him. “What?”

“Huh?”

“You made a noise.”

“Oh. It’s nothing. I’ve just never seen anyone use the drawers in a hotel before.”

“Oh. Well, that’s a force of habit.” She closes the drawer, holding a bundle of clothes. “One I can explain later.” She smiles at him before going into the bathroom. The room plunges into near darkness as it is lit by just the tv. He slides off the bed and opens the curtains. The city is alive beneath him. The sun is breaking through the clouds. It looks like it is going to be a beautiful day. He grabs the remote off the nightstand and flips through the channels until he finds local weather.

He goes to the closet to pick out something to wear. Part of him wishes he could have grabbed something more causal and less work attire. Maybe he just won’t wear a tie and stick to Converse. “We’ll be staying in the high 60’s, lower 70’s for the rest of the day. And we can expect those clouds to clear out by this afternoon. It is 71 degrees now and mostly cloudy with 7 miles per hour winds out of the North, that will help blow the rest of this humidity out as well. Back to you…” He turns off the tv. He has enough information.

He chooses gray slacks, a white dress shirt with gray spots, mismatched red and lavender socks, his black chucks, and red cardigan. He rolls up his sleeves before putting on the sweater and slides his watch over the sweater’s cuff. He sits on the bed to tie his shoes and when he does, the bathroom door opens. Her hair, while still wet, is half up, pulled back at the temples into a ponytail and the rest hangs curling below it. It doesn’t surprise him that her everyday attire is the same as what he has seen her go into the office wearing. Not that he can fault her for it since he is the same way. Dark denim jeans, some mystery colored form fitted tank top under a mostly buttoned, long sleeved flannel. This time blue and black with lines of purple mixed in.

“Did I hear the weather while I was in there?”

He nods. “It’s sweater weather. Or a light jacket.”

“Cool. Then I’ve got a few things to finish… I needed the mirror cleared of steam… and then I’m ready.”

He sets his foot on the ground as he finishes the second shoe. “Take your time.”

“Talk to me while I finish up?”

“Sure.” She ducks back into the bathroom, leaving the door open. “I wanted to ask you about something you said in the car on the way up.”

“Go for it.”

“You said you’ve never been here as an adult. Does the mean you came here as a kid?”

“Yes. Once. It was… not…” She looks at herself in the mirror, her eye liner half done. She remembers clear as a bell what he said after bringing Dean back from CBGB, _“Son, you don’t like me? That’s fine. It’s not my job to be liked. It’s my job to raise you right.”_ She scoffs at the irony in that because not long after she was dumped at Bobby’s. Still it was actually a fun day. “My father had this job in Long Island.”

“Really? Seems odd for a mechanic to take a job so far from home.”

“I’m not sure why he did. Maybe it was an old marine buddy or maybe it was something vintage that wouldn’t have made the trip. Who knows? It’s beside the point.”

“Sorry. Go on.”

She resumes putting on her makeup. “Well, the three of us were begging him to go into the city. And I mean begging. But he had this thing about New York. Too big, too loud, too dirty. And he _hated_ the Yankees. We managed to convince him and we all went. Saw the sights, rode the subway, ate too much pizza. The whole tourist experience. Well, mostly. We didn’t see any shows, they weren’t his thing and we were on a budget.”

“But you don’t count that as having been here before?”

She looks over at him and sees that he is leaning on the door watching her. She smirks. “How many times has a case brought you here?”

“Four.”

“And how many times do consider yourself to have visited the city?”

He chuckles. “None. I still get still teased for not taking the short flight or slightly longer train to get here to explore on my own.”

“And that’s my point. By that point in my life, my father and I were… already not seeing eye to eye. We travelled a lot. Guess he didn’t like to stay in one place too long. We may be from Lawrence, but we never truly lived there.”

“You said he was a mechanic?”

“He was. He’d take odd jobs in shops, but I never really paid much attention to what he was doing specifically. It was hard enough to keep up with schoolwork when you bounced from school to school. I digress. I read a lot on the road and the most readily available books in gas stations and trucks stops are…”

“Travel books.”

“Bingo. So, I had read that if you ever visit New York, you have to see a show. He made me choose. Boat ride to see the Statue of Liberty or go to a show by myself. I chose Lady Liberty, because I didn’t want to be alone.”

“You aren’t alone now.”

She smiles. “Which is why over the course of this weekend we’re making up for lost time and seeing one. Two if I can fit another one into my budget.”

“I had no idea you liked theatre that much.”

“There was a brief moment in time that my twin and I were in Drama Club. One of the after-school activities was to watch a musical. I was smitten. I wanted to be in one so bad, but we moved again before auditions.”

“You got to do a lot of the tourist stuff. That’s more than I can say.”

She sighs and puts her mascara away. “Ok. So, maybe I’ve been to New York before. But we didn’t take in the culture. That’s what I really wanted. Theatre. Parks. Hot Dogs. Museums.” She fans herself with her hand and pants. “The Public Library.” He laughs. “Just think of me as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, where my father and brothers were all the townspeople.”

“So, by that analogy, Bobby was your kooky inventor father.”

She laughs. “Yes. He was.”

“Wish I could have met him. He sounds amazing.”

“Me too. I think he would have liked you.” She smiles and moves towards him. “Would have pointed a shotgun at you and asked of your intentions.” She turns off the bathroom light. “But I highly doubt he would have shot you.”

“Has he… done that before?”

“To someone I was dating?” She actually has to think about it. He unloaded on him when they first met. But after that? They were friends. Plus, Bobby had no idea they were together so… “No. Though he did threaten when I was younger.” He steps back and she moves around him to grab her boots. “So… you know more of my history with my family and that I’m a bit of closeted theatre nerd. Ready to run yet?”

He smiles. “No. I happen to enjoy knowing that you like something most people would think out of character. In fact, I greatly enjoy knowing something that could easily be a guilty pleasure for you.”

“Oh. It’s definitely a guilty pleasure. I have two whole playlists of songs that don’t see the light unless I am absolutely alone. If there’s even a chance someone might hear, I don’t play them.”

He smiles and cups her face as she stands from the bed after lacing her boots and pulling the jeans down over them. “You know what we’re listening to on the way home.”

She groans. “Nooooo. Don’t make me regret telling you that.”

“We all have guilty pleasures.”

“Uh-huh. What’s yours?”

He laughs and nods towards the tv. “Soap operas.”

“What? Really?”

“They are over dramatic, and the writing is terrible, but they hold my attention. I don’t get to watch them much since I don’t own a tv.”

She grabs his hands and pulls them from her face. Her eyes bug out of her head. “You don’t own a tv?”

“That surprises you more than the soap opera thing?”

“How do you even watch them?”

“In hotel rooms.” He checks his watch. “And if we don’t leave this room soon. I’m turning that tv on to start channel surfing.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “You are an enigma, Dr. Reid.”

“Says the most eclectic person I have ever met. The queen of all enigmas.”

She shrugs with one shoulder and does the pocket pat dance. Phone. She goes to get her personal cell of the desk. Wallet. She grabs it too. Room key. Which is in the wallet. She doesn’t need the work phone. Creds. She swipes the black bifold and offers it to him. “Safe, please.” He takes it and locks it away with their firearms. She glances at the desk. “I have a question.”

“Yeah?”

“How do you feel about maid service?”

“It probably won’t happen today. It’s too late in the day.”

“Well, yeah. But I mean are we going to use it?”

“I would like fresh towels and the bed made. And trash taken out.”

She nods. She scoops her laptop and work phone off the desk. “Safe, please.”

He laughs and locks her items away. “Wait. Are you saying you didn’t want maid service?”

“I usually don’t.”

“Why?”

She shrugs. “Habit?”

“Is habit code for the way your father taught you?”

“Maybe a little. To be honest. Bobby was like that too.”

“Interesting.”

“I’m aware it’s weird. I don’t care either way. I just prefer my valuables be locked up if we’re letting others enter.”

“Which is fair.”

She takes his hand. “Can we stop playing 20 questions and go now? This is our only free day!”

He laces her fingers with his and gestures toward the door. “Do I get to know anything about these plans?”

“Yes. But you only get to know if you request to do them today.”

“You want to make a game out of it then?”

“Yup.”

“Well, then. Game on.” He removes the “Do Not Disturb” sign and hooks it on the inside of the door. They then walk hand in hand to the elevator to start their adventure.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please comment! I have been working on this for a long time and I was never really sure if I was going to post it. If there is interest (from at least one person I'm not picky lol), more posts will be coming. Please be patient though... having a character with an eidetic memory if a pain as far as building a timeline goes XD.
> 
> You can keep up with updates on Tumblr ([bevans87](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/bevans87)) and Twitter ([@blackdragonfly](https://twitter.com/blackdragonfly))


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